A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh
by Eeveexpert
Summary: Thrust into the world, a naive young Eevee quickly discovers what it's like to fight for his life, and someone else's. Will this love give him the strength to ensure his survival?
1. Introduction

In the middle of the Sinnoh region, in the small town of Solaceon, the Daycare facility

is receiving eight new members; a Jolteon, Vaporeon, Flareon, Umbreon, Espeon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and an Eevee. The ensuing flash that occurred as all the Poke Balls opened simultaneously temporarily lit up the small Daycare building. As their trainer left the Daycare, the Eevee and its evolutions padded outside to see off their

departing owner. Their trainer came over to the fence and crouched down, so as to speak with them at their eye level.

"Okay guys, I'm going to Johto for quite a while to collect as many of the Pokemon that reside in that area as I can. Normally, I would bring all of you with me, but most of you are too high leveled, and I wouldn't dream of splitting you up by taking only those who would be helpful in catching the Johto region Pokemon, so I've decided to leave you all here together." At this point he paused to look at the Jolteon and Vaporeon standing side by side in the middle of the Pokemon pressed up against the fence, and gave a slight chuckle." Heh, all right you two, I'm counting on both of you to keep everyone safe. After all, you're the parents of almost everyone here." He paused again to give each of the eight Pokemon standing at the fence a friendly ruffle between the ears. After having done this, he stood up and took a step back. "Needlefur, Torrentpaw, I'm counting on you both."

"Jolttt."

"Vaaa."

"Heh, I guess I'll have to take your word for it. See all of you in a couple months." Having said this, their trainer headed north towards Snowpoint City to catch a ship to the Johto region.

Having watched their owner vanish into the darkening horizon, all of the Pokemon stepped back from the fence.

Needlefur, the Jolteon, called all of them into a group, then sprang onto a stump, to sit alongside Torrentpaw, then proceeded to address the entire group.

"Okay everyone, we'll be on our own for a couple of months. It won't be too much different, except that Eric took out Poke Balls with him, so we'll have to sleep out in the open."

At this point Torrentpaw spoke aloud to the group, the small fin on its head twitching slightly back and forth as it did so.

"Fortunately, I don't sense any rain approaching, so tonight we should be able to sleep without a shelter, but building one should be our first priority tomorrow. All right everyone, let's call it a night."

At this point the group split into two smaller groups; one of them consisting of Needlefur, Torrentpaw, the Umbreon, Espeon, and Glaceon. The other, smaller group was comprised of the Flareon, Leafeon, and the Eevee.

As the Eevee curled up upon the ground and placed its fluffy tail warmly across its paws, the Leafeon strode smoothly behind the Eevee, lay down, and wrapped its leaf-like tail around the small Pokemon in front of it. The Leafeon then lowered its head towards the small brown figure nestled safely in the curve of its body, giving it a light lick between its ears. Although the Eevee was half asleep it heard the Leafeon say,

"I love you."

The Eevee replied in a drowsy voice thick with sleep, "I love you too...Mom." Then the quiet calm of sleep enveloped the small Pokemon.

The Flareon padded up silently so as not to wake the Eevee. His head also descended towards the Leafeon's head, which was looking at the Eevee in deep sleep, and gave her a loving lick on the back of her ear. The Leafeon then said in a soft voice, "I don't know what we would do if anything ever happened to him." Here she looked down at the Eevee snuffling about as it dreamt quietly.

The Flareon then lowered his head farther down and licked the Eevee between the ears as the Leafeon had done a few minutes before. As he did this the small Eevee issued a small whimper. He then laid down next to his mate and replied, "Neither do I."

Meanwhile, in Veilstone City, in an office high up in a tall skyscraper, a chair spun swiftly around to reveal Cyrus, the leader of Team Galactic in Sinnoh.

"I have heard that there is a blue-eyed Eevee appearing around this area. After we were recently ousted by a teenage boy, this is exactly the kind of Pokemon we need to get to earn the favor of the international Galactic Organization. Failure is not an option!"

The two grunts in the room nodded and stood up. They then exited through the sliding metal door to perform Cyrus' bidding. As the door slid shut behind them, a large monitor flickered to life to life across the wall behind Cyrus. A dark silhouette appeared on the screen.

"Do they know what to do?"

"They should." replied Cyrus, without even turning the chair around.

"Good." The monitor then turned off and the silhouette disappeared.


	2. Chapter 1: Coming of Age

"Wake up, Rustfur. Wake up."

The small Eevee opened his eyes to be greeted with a blurry image of his Leafeon mother. His mother then arose to allow him room to stretch out. She the followed suit and took a long stretch, loosening her stiffened muscles. Rustfur sat up, blinked several times to clear the sleep from his eyes and padded over to his now sitting mother.

"Mom, do you know where Dad is?"

"No, Rustfur, I don't know where he is at the moment." she replied.

"Leafpool!"

the beckoned Leafeon looked back over her shoulder and, after identifying the voice, rose and trotted towards the approaching Flareon.

"Fireheart! Where were you?"

"I went out to get some berries for breakfast for you two." Here he indicated with a slight nod of his head a pile of Pecha berries sitting a short distance away.

"Thanks." Leafpool murmured as she pressed softly against his side.

"Dad!"

Fireheart looked up from nuzzling his mate to see Rustfur scampering towards him and Leafpool.

Rustfur slowed to a light trot as he approached his parents. When he reached them he placed himself at their feet. He looked up at them through shining brown eyes and wriggled pleasurably as they both gave him a warm, loving lick between his ears. He looked up at his Flareon father and asked,

"What's for breakfast, Dad?"

Fireheart looked down at Rustfur and replied,

"It's right over there."

He indicated with a quick flick of his head the berries he had collected earlier that morning.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Rustfur. "Pecha berries!"

As he bolted towards the pile of berries, he ran smack into an Espeon coming from another direction. They both went down in a tangle of paws and tails.

"Oof! Slow down buddy. What's the rush?"

It took some time to sort out whose paws belonged to whom, but once they had extricated themselves from the jumbled mess they both stood up and gave a quick vigorous shake to remove their coats of grass clippings.

"My dad brought some Pecha perries back for breakfast this morning and i get to try some!" All while he was speaking he was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Well, I won't hang you up any longer, go get some breakfast." the Espeon replied with a slight smile. "Have fun!" he called after Rustfur, who was away like a shot.

As the Espeon turned away he was hailed by Fireheart, approaching with Leafpool at his side.

"Swiftclaw!"

Upon hearing his name, Swiftclaw increased his pace to meet up with his brother Fireheart and his mate approaching from the opposite direction.

"Fireheart! How was your first night of sleep outside of a Poke Ball?"

"Not too bad." he responded. "How about yourself?"

"Pretty good. Mom and Dad found a small area of grass that's slightly longer than most of the grass around here for Ravenpaw, Frostpelt and myself to sleep on, so it wasn't too bad. I did get a little cold though." He glanced at Leafpool. "How was your night?"

She took a quick stretch to fully loosen her muscles and replied,

"Well, I did get uncomfortable a few times during the night, but because Rustfur slept nuzzled up against me, I wasn't going to shift positions and disturb him. So I am a little stiff this morning."

"Ah, well, we should be collecting for badding and shelter today, so tonight should be much more comfortable." Swiftclaw answered. "So, on a different subject, why is Rustfur so excited this morning?"

"This morning he is now two months old and is ready to try actual berries." Leafpool responded.

"Oh, that's right!" Swiftclaw exclaimed as his face lit up as if he remembered something. "Needlefur sent me over to tell you to bring Rustfur to her and Torrentpaw so they can tell him a little more about our family."

"All right, let's see if he's finished his breakfast yet." Fireheart said.

The threesome then padded over to where Rustfur was just about to finish his fourth berry. When they arrived, he had just swallowed his mouthful of Pecha berry. As he looked up at the three Pokemon that stood over him, his mother stepped towards him to clean his face off, as the area around his mouth was liberally stained with the pink juice of the Pecha berry.

Rustfur squirmed from side to side as he sought to escape the warm rasp of his mothers tongue as it brushed repeatedly over his face.

"Pbbbtth! C'mon Mom, stoppit!"

"Oh, come on, its not that bad. All right, all right, there, I'm done"

After she withdrew her head from Rustfur, Leafpool turned and asked Swiftclaw,

"Is it all right if I have something to eat quickly? I haven't had anything today."

"Of course." Swiftclaw said politely.

"Thank you." After having said this she turned and lowered her head to eat some of the berries Rustfur had not yet gotten to. Having finished several berries she arose and trotted back to where Fireheart and Swiftclaw were still standing, beckoning Rustfur with her tail.

"Come along, Rustfur. Let's go."

Meanwhile, in the forest just outside the Daycare, two Team Galactic grunts were tracking an elusive Pokemon through the trees. Needless to say, they were not doing a very good job.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"You watch it! It's not my fault every bloody tree looks the same!"

"Then how about next time you walk around a different tree that I do?!"

_Snap!_

"Shhh! Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I did. Let's get our Pokemon out."

Two Poke Balls sailed into the air and opened up, revealing a Dustox and Purugly. The two grunts got up and peered around a tree, and there it was! The Pokemon they had been looking for! It was an Eevee! It had its back to them and was a fair distance upwind so it hadn't noticed them yet.

"Perfect! It hasn't noticed us yet!"

"Dustox, Poison Sting!"

"Purugly, Water Pulse!"

Two dozen inch-long glowing purple spines emerged from the Dustox's mouth and shot quietly through the air towards their unsuspecting target, followed closely by the Water Pulse from Purugly.

About three seconds before the attack connected with the intended target, the Eevee's ear twitched ever so slightly, and it leaped out of the way with eye-blurring speed. The attacks continued on and slammed into a stout old oak. The Eevee whirled around, created a Shadow Ball and fired it off in one amazingly swift and lightning fast movement. It was all the Dustox could do to avoid this well aimed attack.

"Wow! Did you see that?! It's that blue-eyed Eevee that Cyrus wanted!"

"Quick, let's get off another set of attacks!"

Before they could fire off any more attacks, the Eevee started an Iron Tail attack, and then whipped its now steel-hard tail into the base of a tree with incredible force, splintering the wood on contact. The tree, now parted from its stump, fell between the grunts and the Eevee. The Eevee took advantage of this cease-fire and was away like a bullet through the woods.

"Gah! Let's follow and see if we can't find it again."

"Right." The two grunts trundled off through the woods in pursuit of the elusive blue-eyed Eevee.


	3. Chapter 2: Surprises of All Sizes

"Wow, Mom, I didn't know that you were an orphan." Rustfur murmured. He shot an inquisitive glance toward his mother and although she avoided his gaze she did respond to him.

"I would have told you sooner, but..."

"But what?" Rustfur inquired.

"I was afraid..." Leafpool swallowed visibly and upon continuing her voice was noticeably shaky. "I was afraid of what you'd think of me after I told you." Here she turned away again and her breath started to come in short, ragged bursts. Shortly after, she felt a warm body press against her side. She looked to her right and saw her mate, Fireheart, smiling warmly back at her.

"Leafpool, don't worry about it. You can't help who you are. Remember, both of my parents were orphans, and I don't think any less of them for that."

Leafpool felt a small body brush against her forelegs. She looked down and saw Rustfur sitting at her feet.

"Mom, don't worry. I still love you as much as I ever have."

"Thanks, both of you." Leafpool replied softly, smiling at both of them through eyes shining with tears.

She looked down at Rustfur as he looked back and replied with a hint of a laugh in his voice,

"Mom, can you please stop dripping tears on my head?"

"Okay." she sniffed. She brought her head down to clean Rustfur's tear-dampened head, and as she did so, he brought his head up as far as he could from his sitting position and gave his mother a loving lick on her dampened cheek and said quietly,

"I love you."

Leafpool looked up to see another of Fireheart's brothers approaching from the area where Needlefur had summoned them a short time earlier. As Needlefur and Torrentpaw had finished telling Rustfur about his family, Fireheart had asked for a little bit of privacy while the infromation sank in.

Ravenpaw, Fireheart's Umbreon brother, slowly padded towards the trio, asking from a short distance away,

"Fireheart, Leafpool , is everything okay?"

Fireheart looked up from his son and mate and responded,

"Yeah, Leafpool's feeling much better now. We'll be over in a second." Fireheart looked quickly at his mate and asked, "You feeling up for a trip into the forest to get stuff for bedding?"

"Yes, I'm feeling much better now."

"Ooh, ooh! Can I come? Can I? Can I?"

"Yes, of course you can." Leafpool replied with a smile.

"Awesome!" Rustfur bounded over to where Needlefur and her mate, Torrentpaw were speaking to Swiftclaw and Frostpelt, Fireheart's youngest brother.

Fireheart and Leafpool followed closely behind him, side by side. Ravenpaw followed a short distance behind them. As the trio neared the group of Pokemon where Rustfur eagerly waited, Needlefur called out to them,

"Do you want to go out and collect bedding for tonight?"

"Yeah, I think we're up for it." replied Fireheart as he, Leafpool, and Rustfur padded toward the fence that lined the Daycare and separated it from the surrounding forest.

"Okay, we'll see you back here in several hours." Needlefur called back.

Upon reaching the fencs, Fireheart nimbly leaped to the top of the and from there jumped to the ground. He watched as Leafpool picked up Rustfur by the scruff of his neck and smoothly jumped to the top of the fence and then to the ground, landing next to Fireheart.

Rustfur looked around excitedly as his mother placed him softly on the ground.

"Stay close." she warned as the three of them trotted into the forest.

Everything went smoothly until the started to head back with several mouthfuls of grass each.

"Hey look, there's that Eevee again!"

"You're right! But...what are the other two Pokemon with it?"

"Who cares!? Cyrus can have the Eevee and we can split the other two between us."

"Great idea! Purugly, Water Pulse!"

Three round rings of water emerged from the cat-like Pokemon's mouth and whistled towards the unsuspecting trio. Before the attack landed, Rustfur looked to the left to identify a strange noise he had heard. It was only then that he saw the three rings hurtling towards him. The attack hit perfectly with stunning force, knocking him from between his parents and into the base of a young tree.

Both of his parents dropped their mouthfuls of grass and exclaimed simultaneously,

"Rustfur!"

They were both at his side in an instant.

"Rustfur! Please! Say something!" Leafpool shouted frantically.

Rustfur opened his eyes slowly to see his parents standing over him anxiously.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm fine." he said weakly.

"Thank goodness." his mother sighed, her body shaking with relief.

This relief was short lived, as the Dustox sent a Poison Sting attack flying towards them.

"Unnnh!" Fireheart grunted as the Poison Sting slammed into his back.

When Leafpool heard Fireheart grunt with pain, she instinctively jumped in front of Rustfur to guard him.

After Fireheart recovered from the surprise Poison Sting, he whirled around to see the Dustox and Purugly advancing upon him, closely followed by the two grunts.

"Leafpool, stay here, if you try to run while you have to carry Rustfur, they'll cut you down before you get very far." Leafpool nodded at her mate, then returned her gaze to the advancing enemy, all the while making sure she was between Rustfur and the two approaching grunts.

Fireheart bared his teeth and snarled fiercely at the approaching Pokemon. Although Leafpool was several feet away from Fireheart, she could feel the intense heat pouring from his body in waves.

"Fireheart, NO!" she shouted in alarm, "If you use a fire attack, you'll start a forest fire. I won't be able to safely get Rustfur out if the forest is ablaze!"

Fireheart's eyes opened wide as he realized the truth of this statement.

"Shoot! That only leaves me with two other attack options."

By this time the Dustox and Purugly were dangerously close, so he had to decide fast. He leaped back towards Leafpool to get a little more space for his Giga Impact attack. He then shot towards the Dustox with an explosive burst of power and speed. This burst catapulted towards the enemy so fast, that he became cloaked with crackling white energy. He then leaped into the air so as to meet the Dustox in combat. The attack hit home with devastating results. The Dustox, KO'ed instantly by the fearsome attack, shot backwards into the grunt controlling it, stunning the Trainer momentarily. Fireheart landed safely on all fours, then immediately collapsed due to the intense strain of the extreme attack. The other grunt saw this as a prime opportunity to attack.

"Purugly, Slash attack, now!

Between heavy breaths Fireheart managed to call out,

"Leafpool, to your left!"

She and Rustfur had been watching Fireheart and had failed to notice the other grunt approaching on their left. Upon hearing Fireheart's warning, she looked in the indicated direction and saw the Purugly hurtling towards her and Rustfur with a vicious snarl on its face and with claws extended. Leafpool did the first thing that came to her mind. She instinctively wrapped herself around Rustfur and braced for the attack. Fireheart struggled to his feet with every ounce of strength he had, but he collapsed again and was only able to watch helplessly as the Purugly came within striking distance of his mate and son. Leafpool screeched with pain as the Purugly's cruelly sharp claws raked her right hind leg.

"Leafpool!"

Fireheart desperately attempted to get to his feet again. This time, however, he succeeded and although his balance wasn't perfect, he raced toward the Purugly, who was preparing for another attack against the already sorely wounded Leafeon. He met the Purugly in mid-leap with a full bodied tackle and sent the Purugly flying headlong into its trainer, stunning them both.

Breathing heavily, Fireheart stumbled to Leafpool's side to inspect her wounded thigh. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the once cream colored fur stained with the striking crimson color of blood. Fortunately, the wounds were only a quarter of an inch deep. Leafpool stretched out slightly to allow her mate better access to her wounded thigh. As Fireheart bent down to clean Leafpool's thigh, Rustfur sat up, shaking his head to stop it swimming.

Leafpool winced as Fireheart drew his rough tongue over her injured leg several times.

"Ow! Take it easy!"

"Sorry. There, that's as clean as I can get it without water."

When Rustfur's head cleared and he was able to see clearly again, he clearly saw the three bright red claw marks running down his mother's right thigh. He was immediately at her side, staring at her cruel wound through eyes bright with unshed tears.

'Mom! Are you okay?!" he cried, his voice choked with worry.

She turned her head towards him and quietly replied, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Relieved, Rustfur started licking his mother's head furiously, but Fireheart interrupted.

"Those guys aren't gone, they're just stunned for the time being, and I don't know how long they'll stay that way, so we need to get moving." Fireheart turned his gaze to his mate. "Can you walk?"

Leafpool struggled to her feet, aided by Rustfur.

"I can try."

"Okay, let's go." said Fireheart.

The trio continued towards the Daycare with Leafpool flanked by Fireheart and Rustfur, helping her with walking. Half an hour later, they came across the fence to the Daycare. Leafpool regretfully looked at the slightly bleeding wounds on her back leg and said to Fireheart,

"I don't think I'll be able to jump the fence with my leg like this."

"Okay, I think we lost those guys when we went through that stream. I'll be right back with some help." Fireheart replied.

As Fireheart leapt over the fence and padded away, Leafpool curled up with her back to the fence, favoring her injured leg. Rustfur curled up by her and placed his head on his fluffy tail. No sooner had he closed his eyes, than a net came hurtling out of the forest and entangled him. Despite her injured leg, Leafpool leapt up and tore at the net using nothing but her teeth.

Now, now, we don't want you doing that, now do we?"

Looking up from the net, Leafpool saw the same two grunts that had ambushed them in the woods earlier step out from between two trees.

"Mom! Help me!" Rustfur pleaded.

Leafpool returned to tearing at the net in a mad frenzy, in an attempt to free her son.

"Uh-uh-uh, we can't have you doing that."

The grunt then pressed a small button on a gray box that was attached to the net. A jolt of electricity surged through the net and through the two bodies in contact with it. As Leafpool tore at the net, she felt surge of pain course through her body. She was forced to drop the net as the electricity magnified the dull pain in her right leg to the point where it felt as if fangs were digging savagely into her wounded thigh. As she collapsed to the ground, exhausted, she saw the net being pulled away and heard Rustfur crying out faintly,

"Help me! Mom, don't let them take me! Please! Help me!"

"Shut up!" shouted the grunt dragging the net.

"Please, Mom, get up! Help me!"

"I said, shut up!!"

"Owww!!" Rustfur screamed as he was cruelly and repeatedly kicked by the grunt.

The sight of her son in pain for the second time in one day was too much for Leafpool to stand. Ignoring the white-hot pain lancing through her exhausted body, she arose and forced herself into a run to catch up with the net. She bit into the net, braced herself with all four paws and began fulling backwards with every ounce of strength her tortured frame could muster.

"I thought I took care of you!" the grunt replied as he whirled around to see a Leafeon pulling sharply at the net he was dragging. He hit the button to electrify the net and the electricity shot down through the net and surged through Leafpool's body, intensifying the pain even more.

"Ahhhh!!! Mom, help me, it hurts!"

That did it. Something inside Leafpool snapped and filled her body with strength like floodgates bursting to release a tidal wave. Using this flood of strength she was easily able to tear through the fibers of the net.

As Rustfur tumbled out of the net, Leafpool grabbed him by the scruff of the his neck and hurtled towards the fence and leaped clear over it without touching it. Leafpool had so much momentum to her jump that she sailed a full three feet from the fence. The landing, however, was not very smooth. In mid-air, Leafpool had blacked out; half from the intense pain of putting so much stress on her injured leg and half from sheer exhaustion. As she blacked out, Rustfur slipped from her mouth and fell to the ground, skidding a short distance. Leafpool's momentum carried her several feet past the spot where Rustfur had fallen to the ground and brought her roughly crashing to the ground, tumbling head over tail then skidding to a stop.

"Mom!" Rustfur cried as he watched his mother's body fall limply to the ground. He was at her side in a single bound.

"Mom? Mom!! Please wake up! Please!" he wailed as he pawed desperately at his mother's unconscious form. He looked up from his mother's bruised body to see, to his horror, the two grunts climbing over the fence with two new Pokemon in front of them; a Bronzor and a Toxicroak. Rustfur leaped over his mother and landed in a fighting position, ready to defend her.

"Heh, heh, heh. Aren't you brave? This should be easy." the purple frog-like Pokemon croaked out in a low rasping voice.

"Get back!" he shouted in a voice shaking with fear. Having said this, he formed a Shadow Ball and hurled it towards the approaching Toxicroak. Unfortunately, because he was so afraid, the shot missed altogether.

"Well, aren't you a tough one." the Bronzor grated out in a metallic sounding voice.

"Bronzor, Psychic!" the grunt commanded.

Rustfur was surrounded by a blue glow and was lifted off the ground.

"Toxicroak, Toxic! Aim for its leg wound!"

The frog-like Pokemon swelled its cheeks and spat out a glob of extremely dangerous poison. Rustfur struggled feebly but could only watch in stark horror as the attack raced toward his still unconscious mother. In the condition she was in, she wouldn't be able to resist its effects for long. He closed his eyes and started sobbing, while he waited for the attack to hit its mark. When he opened his eyes to take one last look at his mother, he saw Needlefur dart past him to Leafpool's side and let loose a quick bolt of electricity. The poison met with the bolt and evaporated on contact. Rustfur then saw a wave of black energy whistle past and hammer the Bronzor. The blue glow vanished and Rustfur felt himself falling. Before he could hit the ground, he was grabbed by his neckfur and set down gently on the ground. He looked up to see Ravenpaw standing over him.

Rustfur immediately sprinted back to his mother's side. Fireheart joined him, staring in disbelief at the mixture of blood and dirt covering the cream-colored fur of his mate. Fireheart stepped away from Leafpool's body and bowed his head. Rustfur was about to ask his father what was wrong when he saw the single glistening teardrop fall from his father's eye. His heart skipped a beat as he silently recoiled in shock. He had _never_ seen his father cry before.

Fireheart joined the line of five Pokemon standing between Leafpool and the Team Galactic grunts. When he looked up again his eyes were filled with flames of fury.

As the grunts looked at the Pokemon barring their way, each with bared teeth and snarling viciously, they decided that dignity was the better part of valor and beat a hasty retreat.

With the enemy gone, all attention was turned to Leafpool, who was still unconscious but breathing, albeit slowly and labored.

Needlefur took charge and started calling out orders, "We need to get her to a more comfortable position. Torrentpaw, Frostpelt, I need you to get me water and ice for this wound. Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, I want you to see if there's a way for your Moonlight and Morning Sun attacks to be used on another Pokemon."

"What can I do?" Fireheart asked as he stepped forward.

"If you and Rustfur could move Leafpool to that spot of grass that Swiftclaw told you about this morning, that would be great. I'm going to go find some Lum and Sitrus berries."

"Okay." Fireheart solemnly replied.

Needlefur shot off like an arrow from a bow. Fireheart and Rustfur gently dragged Leafpool to the spot that Needlefur had indicated and both of them laid down next to their injured family member, fighting back tears.

_______________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

As I have often told my friends, "You know a story is going to have a lot of action  
in it when you have a character unconscious by chapter 2."

And, if I may, I'd like to ask a favor: While I am normally very good at catching  
errors and the like, I sometimes miss one here or there. If you, as the reader,  
catch one, politely let me know (if you choose to comment).

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	4. Chapter 3: Moons and Sun

A full twelve hours had passed and Leafpool still lay unconscious. A small pile of uneaten Sitrus berries sat near her head. Rustfur lay by her side, not having left her since he had laid down beside her the night before.

Needlefur silently trotted up behind him and called to him quietly,

"Rustfur, you need to eat something."

"No, not until my mother wakes up." he said quietly.

"Rustfur..." Needlefur sighed, "If she was going to come around she would have already. You need to eat something."

"I'm not moving."

"Rustfur..."

"NO!" he stiffly responded.

"I know this must be hard for you, but-"

"No, you don't know what this is like for me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you never knew your mother like I know mine!" he shouted angrily, hot tears welling up in his eyes.

Stung by the barbed truth of this statement, Needlefur was put at a loss for words momentarily. When she regained her power of speech she said quietly,

"Just because I didn't know my parents doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to see a loved one in pain and not being able to do anything about it."

"What do you mean?" Rustfur sniffed, having calmed down somewhat.

"Well, several years ago, Ravenpaw came down with a mysterious illness."

"What happened?" asked Rustfur, now completely focused on Needlefur's story.

"One night, two years ago, in the Kanto Daycare, Torrentpaw and I were awoken by a strange noise, which sounded like a creature in pain. at first neither of us knew what could be causing it, but some small voice inside me told me that something was very wrong. It was then that we spotted a dull blue glow coming from behind a small hill a short distance away. The cry then came again, but much sharper than before, and suddenly I knew what the sound was.

'Ravenpaw!'

I increased my pace to a swift run. When I crested the hill, I saw Ravenpaw lying on the ground, trembling slightly, and crying out softly. When I reached his side I noticed that the blue glow was emanating from the once-yellow rings on his body. When Torrentpaw caught up to me he asked worriedly,

'What's wrong?'

'I...I don't know.' I said.

Upon hearing our voices, Ravenpaw slowly opened his eyes. He struggled to raise is jet-black head to meet our gaze.

'M-mom, Dad? Is that you?' he murmured weakly as he looked at each of us through eyes filled with tears born of intense pain.

'What happened?!' Torrentpaw and I exclaimed simultaneously.

Before he could answer our question, his whole body was shaken violently by a horrible series of convulsions. As if in reaction to this, the glow coming from the rings on his body intensified and from his throat ripped a cry filled with incredible pain.

'Aaaaggggghhhhh!!'

That cry that issued from his mouth was filled with so much pain that it felt like a piece of my soul was being torn out of me." Here Needlefur paused to calm down, as recalling the memory of almost losing her second son had brought her to the verge of tears. Rustfur took advantage of this pause to ask,

"What caused the illness?"

Needlefur took a deep breath and continued,

"When morning came and Ravenpaw had recovered enough to tell Torrentpaw and I what had happened, he told us it was caused by what our Trainer called a 'blue moon'. Apparently, then are extremely rare and most Pokemon and their Trainers go their whole life without seeing even one. Due to Eevee's being evolved into Umbreons by the radiation that the moon gives off, only Umbreons are affected. It was the radiation of this blue moon that caused Ravenpaw's rings to glow blue instead of their usual yellow. It's said that if you see a blue moon you are to be considered extremely lucky. However, that night, I felt anything but lucky."

"I wonder if I'll ever see a blue moon." Rustfur wondered out loud.

"You already have."

"Hunh?"

"You've already seen one," Needlefur replied as she sat down. "I'll never forget it, for three big reasons. One, I was worried that Ravenpaw would be struck with the condition again, but he assured me he would be fine, as Umbreons are only affected by a blue moon once, because a small amount of the radiation remains in their body and provides them an immunity to the illness. Two, it's nigh impossible for there to be two blue moons in such a small space as two years. Reason three, and the biggest reason of all; the blue moon occurred the night you were born."

"What?!" Rustfur exclaimed as he almost fell over in shock. "Are you serious?!"

"Absolutely serious." she replied flatly.

"Why don't I remember it then?" Rustfur questioned.

"Hmmhmmhmm, you weren't an hour old yet." replied Needlefur with a slight chuckle.

"Where were Swiftclaw and Frostpelt that night when Ravenpaw was sick?"

"They weren't born yet."

"Oh, I see." Rustfur said quietly. "Needlefur, could you excuse me for a minute?"

Needlefur nodded politely.

"Of course."

As she watched the small lonely figure walk slowly back to the unconscious form still lying on the ground, she turned away and blinked back tears welling up in her eyes at the heartbreaking sight. She then saw Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw approaching, a hopeful look in their eyes.

Needlefur arose and walked over to them. As she neared them, Swiftclaw spoke up,

"I think we've figured out a way to use Morning Sun or Moonlight on another Pokemon."

"Really?" asked Needlefur, "How?"

"If one of use uses Morning Sun or Moonlight, the other can capture the healing energy with Psychic and redirect it into the intended body. However, due to Morning Sun and Moonlight being comprised of pure energy, and the fact that both of the users must sustain the attacks until the maneuver is finished, this is extremely tiring to perform." commented Swiftclaw.

Needlefur shot an inquisitive glance at each of them and asked,

"Do both of you feel up to trying it out?"

"Absolutely."

"Of course." replied Ravenpaw, "Whatever it takes to heal Leafpool."

The three of them continued towards Rustfur and his unconscious mother. When they were within earshot they could hear him crying softly and were clearly able to see his small body shaking with each sob. He looked up when Swiftclaw flicked him lightly on the ear with his pronged tail as they passed.

"Rustfur, Swiftclaw and Ravenpaw believe they have found a way to heal your mother. They'll need a bit of space to do it though, so they need you to step back for a short time." said Needlefur.

"Are you sure that it'll work?" Rustfur asked excitedly, looking up at Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw, a look of pure hope beaming from his tear-stained face.

"Yes, although we'll only be able to do this once today. Morning Sun should have better effect due to your mother's body being part plant." replied Swiftclaw.

"Okay, I guess we could try it." Rustfur sniffed, glancing back at his mother's body.

Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw nodded understandingly and took a couple steps back from Leafpool. Rustfur and Needlefur did the same, to allow some space for the procedure that was about to be performed.

Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw stood on opposite sides of Leafpool. Their eyes met for a split second and they both nodded slightly and knew exactly what they had to do.

The jewel on Swiftclaw's forehead began to glow brightly as a ray of sunlight parted the gray early morning clouds and shot towards him.

"Ravenpaw, now!" he called while looking at the rapidly descending sunbeam.

Ravenpaw's normally red eyes took on an eerie blue glow that reminded Needlefur of that night when she almost lost him. She felt a chill run down her spine but continued watching. Just before the ray of light hit Swiftclaw it curved off at a sharp angle and illuminated Leafpool's body.

Rustfur watched in awe while Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw worked in tandem to pump life-giving energy into his mother. When the light of Morning Sun faded, Ravenpaw and his younger brother collapsed. Rustfur bolted to his mother's side, asking quietly,

"Mom? Mom, can you hear me?" When there was no response for some time, he called out again, in a slightly louder tone of voice, "Mom, if you can hear me, say something."

Still nothing.

Rustfur's voice had now risen to a shout.

"Mom, please answer me!"

No response.

_It didn't work._ thought Rustfur, tears building up in his eyes for the second time that day.

"Mom! Mom, please! Don't die! Please! Say something!"

Needlefur stepped forward to comfort him, but Swiftclaw, who had just stood up, blocked her path with his tail.

"Let him be." he said wearily.

"Mom...please. I don't want you to die. Please...wake up." Rustfur said weakly as his tears splashed one by one onto his mother's head. When Rustfur opened his eyes to wipe them with the back of his paw, he noticed a tear that had rolled down his mother's face come to rest just above her mouth. Just as he closed his eyes again he heard an interesting sound. Upon opening his eyes to investigate the noise, he saw his mother's tongue flick out and lap up the tear. He fell back in astonishment. Swiftclaw's idea had worked!

"M-mom? Can you hear me?" Rustfur asked, almost unable to believe that his mother was alive.

"Rustfur? Is...is that you?" she murmured quietly.

"Yes, it is." he sniffed.

"What's wrong, Rustfur? It...it looks like you've been crying. Are you okay?" Leafpool asked between deep breaths.

"I thought you were, well..." He paused here as he tried to think of a word other than the rather harsh one that was the only one he could think of.

"You thought I was what?"

He finally decided to just come out and say it.

"I thought you were dead."

Leafpool's eyes opened wide when she heard this. She spoke quietly to Rustfur, who had broken down into a fresh bout of tears.

"Oh, Rustfur, come here."

He padded over and lay next to his mother. She pulled herself into a slightly more comfortable position where she was able to reach Rustfur's head.

"Hush now. It's okay. Everything will be all right." she cooed, while gently drawing her tongue over his small brown head. "I would happily sacrifice my life several times over so that you could lead a full and happy life, and maybe find someone to settle down with."

"Leafpool!"

She looked up from Rustfur to see Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, and Needlefur standing over her, a look of pure joy on each of their faces.

"Hello. Where's everyone else?" she asked.

"They're out collecting berries in the forest, but should be getting back soon." replied Needlefur.

"Is there anything we can get for you?" inquired Ravenpaw.

"Actually, I am rather thirsty. It turns out tears aren't very good for satisfying thirst." she chuckled, looking down at Rustfur, who was smiling back at her through eyes shining with unshed tears of happiness.

"We'll get it for you." said Ravenpaw, with a quick glance at Swiftclaw. "We could use a drink as well, after all the work we did."

"I'll go too." added Rustfur, standing and blinking the tears out of his eyes.

Needlefur walked up to Leafpool and sat down a short distance away. She spoke to Leafpool like a mother would speak to her offspring.

"It's good that you're still with us. Life would be very different if you hadn't some around."

Well, let's just say I'm not ready to leave Rustfur and Fireheart just yet." Leafpool answered, a small twinkle of laughter in her eye.

She turned her gaze away from the Jolteon sitting next to her towards the small Pokemon walking away from her, followed closely on each side by his uncles. Both of his ears stood straight up, as if he remembered something. He turned and jogged back to his mother, calling over his shoulder,

"Hold on guys, I'll be right back."

When he reached his mother, he softly licked her between the ears as she always did before he would fall asleep and whispered,

"I love you."

"I love you too." she responded, returning his kiss with a small lick on his cheek. "Run along. I'll catch up with you later if my leg will let me."

Rustfur nodded and ran back to Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw, who were waiting where he had left them. As the trio continued towards the Daycare pond, they remained silent, the smiles on their faces saying everything.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

I've now realized that the indentations I have used aren't appearing. As that's probably going to  
be the case for all 44 chapters, I don't really feel like going through _every_ chapter to fix that minor  
of a detail. Therefore, you'll have to read it as is. But, you're really not reading for rock solid indentation,  
you're reading for the content therein.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	5. Chapter 4: A Family Reunited

When they reached the pond, Rustfur soaked a ball of moss he had found with water, while Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw drank their fill. After they satiated their thirst they turned and began to walk back towards the area where Leafpool was. Before they got very far, they spotted three figures leaping over the fence. Rustfur immediately recognized one of them as his father and broke into a run towards him, tail held high.

After Fireheart identified the small silhouette scampering towards him as Rustfur, he put down the small leaf full of berries he was carrying and called out,

"Hey, buddy. What's up?"

Rustfur slowed to a walk as he neared his father. He dropped the mouthful of damp moss he was carrying so he could answer.

"Dad, guess what?" he exclaimed, his voice shrill with excitement.

"What?"

"Mom's okay!"

The smile on Fireheart's face faded when he heard this.

"Rustfur..." he sighed, his voice suddenly filled with fatigue."You know as well as I do, your mother lost too much blood from saving you to make it through the night."

"Dad, I'm serious." Rustfur answered.

"Rustfur, stop making things up." his father said, his voice raised slightly.

"But Dad, I'm not-"

"Rustfur, stop!" shouted Fireheart, fighting back tears.

Rustfur took a step back, his tail down and ears drawn back. His eyes were wide open with shock. He had never heard his father raise his voice to anyone, much less him. He felt tears forcing themselves into his eyes again. He pushed his way past his father to Torrentpaw's side, who looked down at him sympathetically. He then turned his gaze towards his son, his eyes hard.

"Fireheart, stop it. You haven't raised Rustfur to be a liar, so why would you even think he's making this up?"

Fireheart could think of nothing to say to respond; he just stood completely still, except for the occasional hiccup that gently shook his body. Rustfur cautiously walked back to his father's side and pressed against his warm red fur.

"Are you sure Leafpool is okay?" sniffed Fireheart, glancing down at the Eevee sitting by his side.

"If you won't believe your only son, then maybe you'll listen to his mother."

All heads, including Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw, who had just arrived, were turned towards the source of the voice.

"Mom?" said Fireheart, echoed by his brothers Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw and Frostpelt.

Fireheart looked on in astonishment as his mother stepped to the side to reveal Leafpool walking towards him, limping slightly, but walking nonetheless.

"Leafpool!?" he exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes.

You're walking!" shouted Rustfur, unable to contain his excitement at seeing his mother up and walking for the first time in twelve hours.

Before Leafpool could answer them, or even blink, Rustfur and Fireheart were at her side, nuzzling her head and legs.

"I'm so glad you're okay." said Fireheart softly. "How's your leg?"

Leafpool looked back at her injured leg and replied,

"It's not bleeding anymore, because Needlefur found some cobwebs to place in the wound to soak up and stop the blood coming out. It's still a little sore to walk on, though."

She paused and looked down at her forepaws and saw Rustfur staring back at her, his bushy tail swishing back and forth happily behind him. Leafpool then glanced at her Flareon mate and asked in a slightly questioning voice,

"I didn't see you when Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw woke me up. Where were you?"

Fireheart found it hard to meet his mate's inquiring gaze. He instead looked at the ground between his paws and replied in a quiet tone,

"I was at your side through whole night, but when dawn arrived and you still hadn't come around, I decided to head out into the forest with my father and Frostpelt, who were still up cleaning your wound at that time to find something to eat."

"Oh, okay." said Leafpool. "Listen, I'm not angry with you. I just wanted to know."

"Mom?"

"Yes, Rustfur?"

"Can we get some breakfast? I haven't eaten anything since last night." As if to prove his point, his small stomach growled rather loudly.

"Heh, of course we can. Remember, I haven't eaten anything either." she answered.

The reunited family walked towards the pile of berries that Fireheart had brought back. Leafpool sniffed the air several times; she could've sworn she smelled that familiar dry-sweet aroma of her favorite berry. Rustfur pawed open the small pack of berries, and several curved pink berries with yellow tips, accompanied by three medium-sized dark blue berries that were completely made up of many small globes, with two large leaves covering the bottom one third of the berry, spilled out. Rustfur sniffed each of them lightly, then looked up towards his father.

"What are these?" he inquired.

"Well, these pink ones I believe are called Mago berries by humans, and the dark blue ones are called-"

"Cornn berries! My favorite!" shouted Leafpool ecstatically.

While his mother eagerly fell upon the Cornn berries, Rustfur only sniffed at his and pushed it around with his forepaw, slightly unsure if he should eat it or not.

"What's the matter?" asked Fireheart, padding up behind his son.

"I don't know if I'll like them." he answered, glancing back at his father, then back at the berries in front of him.

"Are you sure? They're sweet."

"Really?" Rustfur responded, his ears standing straight up when he heard this. He brought his head down to the Mago berry and took an experimental bite. The expression on his face changed from a look of uncertainty to one of pure enjoyment as he chewed noisily.

Leafpool, having finished her berries, stood back up and stretched, paying special attention to her injured leg. She then walked back over to her mate and sat down by his side, feeling his warm fur brush against her own.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked Fireheart in a gentle voice, while they watched Rustfur enjoying his second taste of solid food very much.

"No, I already had some when I was out in the forest earlier." he replied in the same tone, so as not to disturb their son.

"Okay, I'm done."

They both looked down to see a small Eevee his face once again stained with berry juice.

"Not again..." sighed Leafpool, a slight laugh in her voice. She brought her head down to clean off Rustfur's now-purple face, as she had done barely a day before. However, this time he remained completely still, glad to have his mother back.

When Leafpool withdrew her head from Rustfur, he was then able to see Needlefur approaching. He called out to her, causing his parents to turn and find out who he was addressing.

"Hey, Needlefur, how's it going?"

The Jolteon answered his question with a friendly smile and a slight nod. She then looked to her son, Fireheart, and his mate, Leafpool.

"Would you come with me? We need everyone for a quick meeting. Bring Rustfur as well." directed Needlefur.

Leafpool called Rustfur to her side with a quick flick of her tail.

"Come on, Rustfur."

Leafpool, with her family on either side of her, followed Needlefur until they joined Fireheart's father and three brothers, who were sitting in a small semicircle.

"Glad you could come, Fireheart." said Torrentpaw. "We need you to relate exactly what happened yesterday."

"Ummm, okay." he replied, a little reluctant to recount the harrowing experience he had the day before. When he summoned up the nerve to speak, he continued. "Yesterday, while we were out in the forest collecting bedding material, Leafpool, Rustfur, and myself were attacked by two humans. The two Pokemon they used were a Dustox and I believe the other was a Purugly."

A look of realization dawned upon Needlefur's face, and she looked over at her mate, Torrentpaw, and saw that he had the same look on his face. Their eyes met and they knew exactly what the other was thinking, but they let their son continue.

"In protecting Rustfur, Leafpool was severely injured." Fireheart went on, glancing at the Leafeon sitting next to him.

"Fireheart, if you don't mind, may I say something?" interrupted Torrentpaw.

"Of course."

"Thank you. I had my suspicions about those two people we scared off yesterday, but after hearing what Fireheart just said, I know now exactly who they were." commented Torrentpaw.

"Team Galactic has returned." Needlefur said in sync with him.

In the nearby Veilstone city, the two grunts enlisted to catch the blue-eyed Eevee were being summoned into Cyrus' office.

"I told you..." Cyrus began calmly, spinning his chair around slowly, "Failure was not an option!" The two grunts recoiled in fright.

"B-but, you don't understand." they stammered in unison.

"All I understand is that you two are a pair of useless fools!" their boss shouted. "Get out of my sight!"

The two grunts decided to take this advice and were practically tripping over each other in their haste to get out of the room.

"Ugh." sighed Cyrus, clapping a hand to his forehead. He then pressed a button on a small device on his desk and spoke into it. "Contact J for me, I have an assignment for her."

Back in the forest just outside the Daycare, two Sneasels were watching Rustfur from the cover of two bushes.

"Look, that must be the kit of the one who stole the berries and bedding material from our territory. Quick, let's get him!"

The one who was speaking started to climb out of the bushes.

"No, you idiot!" the other shouted as he grabbed his companion by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back. "They'll all fight twice as hard to protect him. It'd be a lot smarter to head back and tell Dusk about this."

"I guess you're right. Let's go."

The two weasel-like Pokemon silently crept out of the bushes and darted back into the forest.

__________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

*dies* It's so hard to constantly add Author's Notes when I've already posted these  
chapters. I'll give you all fair warning now; don't expect overly thought-out Author's  
Notes from here on out.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	6. Chapter 5: A Rude Awakening

"All right then, it's settled." said Needlefur. "We'll need to set out into the forest to find and get rid of Team Galactic so they won't hurt any more Pokemon."

"But what about when the Daycare workers find us gone?" wondered Frostpelt.

"When he dropped us off, Eric told the Daycare couple not to worry if we went out into the forest." answered Torrentpaw.

"If they aren't going to watch us, then why leave us here anyway?" demanded Frostpelt.

"It's so we have a place to come back to rather than wander the forest wondering where to meet back up with Eric." assured Needlefur.

"With that question answered, let's go." declared Ravenpaw, standing up and shaking the grass clippings out off his black coat.

The group of Pokemon arose and pursued Ravenpaw, who was already heading towards the fence.

"Ravenpaw, wait!" Fireheart called after his younger brother. "Leafpool won't be able to get over the fence with her leg injured."

"I've got an idea." commented Leafpool.

"Okay, let's hear it." Needlefur said.

"What if Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw used Psychic to lift me over the fence?" she suggested.

"We could try it." replied Swiftclaw, stepping forward.

"Just be careful." warned Fireheart.

Leafpool was surrounded by a cool blue glow, similar to the glow coming from Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw's eyes. She felt herself being lifted off the ground and gently being placed on the other side of the fence. Fireheart, with Rustfur safely in his mouth, hopped over the fence, followed by his parents and brothers. When they were all on the same side, the group set off into the forest, with Fireheart and Rustfur at the rear.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Why were you crying yesterday?"

"Well, I was crying yesterday because I love your mother very much and it hurt me a lot to see her in pain. Maybe one day you'll know what it's like to love someone." Fireheart replied quietly.

"But I already love you and Mom." said Rustfur, unsure of what his father meant.

"I know you do, but it's a different kind of love than that."

Rustfur still did not know what his father meant, but his train of thought was disrupted by a voice from farther ahead.

"Fireheart!"

Rustfur followed his father to where the voice originated from.

"Is this where you were attacked?" asked Needlefur, who was leading the group.

"Yes." responded Leafpool, walking up behind Fireheart.

"Okay, we'll stop here for a quick rest, seeing as none of us got much sleep last night." yawned Needlefur.

Fireheart curled up, with Leafpool and Rustfur lying down near him. The rest of the group lay down in a protective circle around them.

The two Sneasels that saw the meeting Needlefur had organized two hours ago, had been following the group since they left the Daycare. But there were two other Pokemon with them, an Ariados and a Vileplume.

"Okay, Vileplume, Ariados, you know what to do." whispered one of the Sneasels. The Vileplume started to shake its petals, throwing off a green dust that settled onto the unsuspecting Pokemon a short distance away. After the spores had been inhaled and they were sleeping soundly, the Ariados spat out several strings of gooey silk that wrapped around the legs of the now-sleeping Pokemon. One of the Sneasels gave a low whistle and ten more Sneasels dropped out of the trees and swiftly dragged Rustfur and his family and relatives into the forest.

Rustfur shifted in his sleep to find a more comfortable position and felt something sharp dig into his side.

"Ow..." Rustfur went to stand up but found his paws bound together. He opened his eyes to see why he couldn't stand, but he was shocked at what he saw instead. It was dark and there were two or three Sneasels scampering about. He quietly wriggled over to his mother and nudged her as best he could. "Mom, Mom, wake up."

Leafpool blinked sleepily and attempted to stretch, but couldn't, due to the threads binding her legs together.

"Fireheart, everyone, wake up."

As the rest of them came around and swiftly took in their surroundings, one weasel-like Pokemon with what looked like a red headdress on approached Fireheart.

"Well, are you ready to pay us back for the stuff you took?" it laughed in a menacing voice.

"What are you talking about!?" demanded Rustfur.

"You're in no place to ask me questions, mite." The Weavile hissed evilly. "That Flareon over there stole something out of our forest."

"What!? The forest doesn't belong to you!" Rustfur was beside himself with anger.

"Quiet!" the Weavile hissed as he kicked out cruelly at Rustfur's bound form.

"Oww!"

"Get away from him!" shouted Fireheart and Leafpool simultaneously.

The Weavile stepped over to them, chuckling in a way that sent shivers down the spine of everyone there.

"You must be his parents then."

Leafpool gasped for breath as the weasel-like Pokemon pressed its foot down on her unprotected chest.

"Get off of her!"

The Weavile turned around to face Fireheart.

"Who's going to make me? You? That's a good one." it chuckled, stepping up to Fireheart as if to kick him. It was one step too close. "Eeyahh!!"

As quick as lightning, Fireheart had sunk his teeth into his tormentor's foot. It wasn't deep enough to cause any serious injury, but it did draw blood. Fireheart spit several times to rid his mouth of the acrid taste of blood.

"You've asked for it now." the Weavile gritted through teeth clenched with pain. It flexed its paws and three sharp claws sprang forth on each paw. Claws extended, the Weavile rushed Fireheart. Before it could get within striking distance, it was lifted off the ground by a familiar blue glow.

"Stop it. Now." commanded Ravenpaw in a low voice that caused even his family members to shiver slightly.

"Let us go, or we will kill you." hissed Swiftclaw, his eyes possessing the same blue glow as Ravenpaw's.

"If I die, then so does he."

A strangled cry came from Rustfur, confirming this statement. Fireheart and Leafpool looked in Rustfur's direction, to see a Sneasel standing over him, a paw locked around his throat and a wickedly sharp claw pricking his chin.

"No..." his parents gasped at the same time.

With Rustfur in danger, Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw were forced to release their psychic hold on the Weavile.

"That's it! Build two cages for these idiots; one large one for these seven, and another one for the small one." the Weavile ordered. "When you've got them in the cages, cut their bonds."

"But what if they try to escape?" questioned one of the Sneasels.

"As long as they can see what we could do to their little one, they won't try anything. Just make sure they can see him."

Working efficiently, it took the band of Sneasels that appeared at the leader's signal less than half an hour to build two sturdy cages. Upon completion of these, Rustfur was swiftly hauled away from his parents.

"Mom! Dad!" he cried out, struggling to escape despite his bonds. "Let me go!" he shouted at the Sneasel dragging him, tears forming in his eyes.

"Shut up and stop squirming!" hissed the Sneasel. "Or I'll give you something to really cry about." he warned, waving a savagely sharp claw under Rustfur's nose, frightening him into silence.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" declared Leafpool, her voice shrill with anger.

"Quiet!" shouted one of the Sneasels dragging Leafpool, punctuating his sentence with a vicious backhand to her face.

Thoroughly cowed and spitting out a small amount of blood, Leafpool allowed herself to be dragged away, tears appearing in her eyes at not being able to save her son.

After being roughly dragged, Rustfur felt his bonds being cut and he was thrown into the just-built cage, watching the same happen to his family on the other side of the clearing. All he could do was lie in the position he had landed in, partly due to the fact that he was extremely tired, but mostly because the circulation had not yet been restored to his throbbing paws. He was glad when sleep took him.

He was jolted out of sleep by shouting outside his cage.

"Ouch! Quick, get it in there before it bites my ear off!"

The other Sneasel stunned whatever they were carrying with a solid blow to its head. Taking advantage of this, they hurriedly tossed the limp figure into the cage, narrowly missing Rustfur. Now fully awake, he slowly approached his new, still unconscious cell mate. He brought his head down to get a better look. Even though it was still dark he could clearly see that this was another Eevee. But this Eevee had a nick in its right ear. Something inside Rustfur told him there was something different about this Eevee. He lightly sniffed his new companion in an effort to find out what was different. Then suddenly he knew what it was. This Eevee was female! Her eyes suddenly snapped open and Rustfur nearly shouted out loud with surprise. It wasn't this sudden movement that startled him, it was the eyes themselves. They were the deepest, most intense shade of blue he had ever seen!

"Get back!"

It was a combination of this command and the impact of the swipe this strange new Eevee had launched at his head that brought him back to reality.

"Oof!"

He picked himself up from the cage floor. That swipe must have been thrown with a lot of power. thought Rustfur. He shook his head to clear his vision. When he could see again, he took another look at this Eevee. She was only slightly smaller than himself; she couldn't possibly be any older than he was. What he couldn't get over was her striking blue eyes. Even in this low level of light, they seemed to capture what little moonlight there was, and appeared to glitter like two sapphires.

His focus was broken by a harsh inquiry.

"What are you staring at?"

Rustfur found he had temporarily lost control of his tongue. When he regained the power of speech he stammered out a response.

"Y-your eyes..."

"Yes, I know they're blue, you don't have to tell me that." she responded, her voice hard.

"I saw you struggling with those guards, are you all right?" he asked, taking a step forward.

"Back off." she said flatly, baring her teeth in a dangerous snarl.

"Take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Like I haven't heard that before." she scoffed. "If you're not dangerous, why are you in this cage then?"

"I'm in here because my family and I were captured because these idiots think my father took something from them!" he shouted, tears forming in his brown eyes. "I had no choice!"

"Wait, your family's here? Where are they?"

"Over there." he said quietly, indicating the direction his family's cage was in with a flick of his head.

"Why haven't they tried to save you then?"

"They're too afraid of what that Weavile would do to me if they tried to."

"Well, as it seems we might both be stuck in here for a while, I might as well know your name." she stated. "What is it?"

"Rustfur. What's yours?" he sniffed.

"My name is Sapphire."

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

To this day, even after writing 46 chapters into _A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh's _sequel,  
_Shattered Truths_, this chapter still remains as one of my favorite that I've ever written.

Now, I'll say to you the same thing that I said to my deviantArt readers, "...if you  
can't figure out the link between the last word of this chapter and the title, then  
you should probably stop reading here."

And yes, I _did_ allow a Dark-type to be affected by Psychic. Deal with it.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	7. Chapter 6: A Close Call

Leafpool was also awoken from her fitful sleep by the guards struggling to get Sapphire into Rustfur's cage. As she tried to figure out what was going on she was startled by a voice from behind her.

"Leafpool? Is that you?"

She whirled around to see an Umbreon standing outside the cage. At first she thought it was Ravenpaw, but then she saw him sleeping on the cage floor. Her thoughts raced as she thought of all the Umbreons she knew, but only one came to her mind.

"Softpaw?"

"Yep, it is. Normally I'd ask how you are, but it doesn't look too good." he answered. "Where's Rustfur?"

"He's in the cage on the far side of the clearing." Leafpool said sadly.

"Is there anything you'd like me to tell him?" asked Softpaw.

Leafpool nodded.

"Yes, there is."

On the other side of the clearing, Rustfur and Sapphire were finally speaking normally.

"Well, my mom was an-"

"Wait, something's out there." Sapphire warned, her ear twitching slightly.

Rustfur looked up to see Softpaw step out of the bushes.

"Softpaw!"

"Softpaw? You were making so much noise I could've heard you in my sleep." laughed Sapphire.

Rustfur shot her a quick glance then turned back to Softpaw.

"What are you doing here?" Rustfur asked.

"I heard that Dusk and his band of Sneasels were causing trouble again. Unfortunately, it was true."

"Dusk?" echoed Rustfur.

"Yes, that's the Weavile that you saw earlier today. He loves fighting Pokemon, and he has the skills to help him win." Softpaw said grimly. "I actually came over here because your mom wanted me to tell you that she loves you and not to worry, she's coming up with a plan to get out of here. I'll be running messages between you. I've got to go; get some sleep."

"Be careful." warned Rustfur.

"Don't worry. I know this forest like the back of my paw."

Rustfur lay down and closed his eyes, but before he fell asleep he reopened his eyes and looked at Sapphire. There was something about her that made him feel like… Ah, well, it was probably nothing. Feeling much better, he rolled over and went to sleep.

After what seemed like only minutes, Rustfur was woken by something bouncing off his head.

"Here, take these." a guard said irritably.

Rustfur blinked several times to clear the sleep from his eyes. When he could see clearly, he saw what had woken him up. It was several Iapapa berries. He knew this because they were his father's favorite berries. He reached down and took a bite of one, the sour taste causing him to spit it back out.

"Augh! Why does Dad like these?" he said to himself.

"You should probably try to eat at least one, to keep your strength up." Sapphire advised, not looking up from her own berries.

_She's probably right._ thought Rustfur, a little embarrassed that he couldn't stomach the berries. He looked up when he heard something rapping on the cage.

"Come on, you two. Dusk wants a word with you."

Several Sneasels stepped into the cage holding makeshift ropes. One of them approached Rustfur and looped the rope around his neck. He didn't resist; he was too frightened. He looked across the cage at Sapphire; it was taking three guards to get the ropes around her neck. Even so, they weren't making much progress. Sapphire was putting up a very good fight. When they did get the leads attached, the guards spread out in a triangle pattern, lines taut, so that Sapphire could only move in the direction they were moving.

Across the clearing, Leafpool had woken up early, and could see the guards leading Rustfur to a stone ring. _What were they doing?_ she wondered.

Upon entering the stone ring, Rustfur and Sapphire were hailed from above.

"So, you're the one who attacked my scouts."

They looked up to see Dusk standing on a boulder high above them.

"Those idiots got what was coming to them." Sapphire answered, a smirk playing across her face.

"If you think you're so good, then let's make this fun." he suggested. "If you can best me in combat then I'll let you go, but if I win then you have to remain here as my pet."

"I you only brought her here to fight, then why bring me!?" yelled Rustfur.

Dusk turned his menacing gaze to Rustfur, causing him to cringe.

"I brought you here so you could witness what I'm capable of."

"Fine." replied Sapphire.

"What!? Sapphire, you can't!" Rustfur exclaimed.

"Shut up! I can take this moron." she barked.

"Very well. Remove her leads." ordered Dusk, leaping to the floor of the stone ring.

The four guards blocked off the entrance so that Sapphire couldn't escape. Rustfur watched as Dusk and Sapphire paced to the middle of the ring.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Dusk. "You might get hurt."

"Try it."

Dusk extended his claws and raced toward Sapphire, teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. He lashed out with his right paw at Sapphire's head, but there was nothing there but empty space. At the last second she had rolled onto her back and extended all four of her paws, catching him square in the stomach, sending him sailing over her head and crashing roughly into the ground. He picked himself up, surprised at how his adversary had turned his momentum against him. He charged again, this time using a vertical swipe in case his opponent used the same maneuver. Only this time Sapphire skipped swiftly to the side, leaving his claws slashing nothing but air. With his claws buried in the dirt from the fierce attack, he quickly kicked out with his right foot, catching Sapphire solidly in the face. However, she shook off the blow, spitting out a small amount of blood.

"This is a much better fight than your lackeys put up." she replied, a distinct laugh in her voice.

While she was speaking, had been frantically struggling to get his paw free. Without warning, he whirled fiercely, hoping to catch Sapphire off guard with his outstretched paw. Sapphire saw it coming and ducked with surprising agility. While still crouching, she spun and shot both of her hind legs out, knocking Dusk back a full two yards. Again he found himself slamming into the ground, completely winded. He stood up, swaying slightly. Thinking quickly, he formed a Shadow Ball and hurled it at his opponent, Sapphire countering with a Shadow Ball of her own. The two spheres of dark energy met, causing a large explosion. Dusk cursed under his breath. What did it take to defeat this strange Eevee?

While pondering this question he almost failed to notice Sapphire come hurtling out of the smoke, her tail glowing brightly. He threw his arms up in front of his face at the last minute. He felt Sapphire's tail thud into his chest, throwing him into the boulder he had been standing on only moments before. Picking himself up wearily, he saw Sapphire standing a few meters away. She wasn't breathing heavily at all. She was just toying with him! Yet here he was, struggling just to stand up.

_Forget the bet._ he thought to himself. After being taunted by his smaller adversary, and with rage rising behind his eyes, he made one last decision: He would kill this Eevee, or die trying.

Rustfur was amazed! He had no idea Sapphire could fight like this. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two of the Sneasels silently creeping away from the stone circle. He thought nothing of it until he saw them again, this time on a tall rock behind Sapphire. Rustfur wasn't the only one who saw them; Dusk also caught sight of them upon the rock. Realizing their plan, he redoubled his assault, intent on pushing his opponent back within range of the rock. He threw swipe after swipe at his small, agile opponent; Sapphire easily dodging each one as it whistled past. What she didn't know, was that she was being forced back towards the rock where two Sneasels lay in wait with a rope net.

"Sapphire! Look out!" shouted Rustfur, as Sapphire inched closer and closer to the rock. Unfortunately, with her fighting spirit having been awakened by Dusk's attack, she didn't hear him.

Sapphire was now within throwing range and Dusk knew it. He jumped backwards as the net was thrown. Sapphire saw the shadow flash over her vision but didn't know what it was until it was too late. The stone-weighted net wrapped around her and pulled her to the ground in a cloud of dust. Dusk walked up to her, sneering evilly.

"Well, this evens things out a little, doesn't it?"

"Evens things out!?" Sapphire couldn't believe it. "You dirty, cheating coward! You wouldn't know an honest fight if it slapped you upside your fat head!"

"You little…How dare you talk to me like that!" Dusk shouted, angrily kicking Sapphire's small form.

"What are you going to do about it?" she retorted, still defiant as ever and not even feeling his blows.

"You…" By this time Dusk was trembling with anger.

As Dusk prepared to deal the finishing blow to his small opponent, Rustfur flashed back to that time two days ago when his own mother was lying so close to death and he wasn't able to do anything.

_Not again._ he thought. Without really thinking he sunk his small but sharp teeth into the foot of the Sneasel holding his lead.

"Eeyowch!"

Just as he predicted, the Sneasel dropped the rope. Rustfur took full advantage of this and was away like a shot towards Dusk. He wasn't very good at fighting, but there was no way he was going to sit back and watch Sapphire die. Even though she didn't know, she was his friend.

Sapphire closed her eyes as Dusk swung his claws down in an arc.

"Oof!"

Sapphire looked up and saw Rustfur and Dusk on the ground, kicking up clouds of dust as they rolled around. Rustfur had the upper hand because Dusk was tired from his fight with Sapphire. He latched his teeth into Dusk's injured foot, the same way his father had done.

"Gahhh! Get this runt off me!"

The two Sneasels that had thrown the net rushed forward to help their leader. One of them caught his foot in the net and tripped. As he stood up he pulled the net off Sapphire. Standing up, Sapphire grabbed the net in her teeth, spun around once, and let it go. Skidding across the ground, the net easily wrapped around the feet of the Sneasels that had first thrown it. As soon as they hit the ground, Sapphire was upon them, clawing and biting.

When Rustfur saw that Sapphire was struggling, he let go of Dusk's foot and ran to help. Before he got very far, he felt a sharp tug around his neck and he fell to the ground.

He looked up to see Dusk holding the end of his lead.

"Gotcha. Here, guards, take these two back to their cage." he said, handing the lead to a Sneasel.

The other two Sneasels had Sapphire tangled up in the net, so they didn't need to use any leads. Rustfur and Sapphire were roughly dragged out of the stone ring and back towards their cage. Dusk limped off in a different direction, plotting under his breath.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Wow, going back and reading this after having written so far into _Shattered Truths  
_certainly brings back memories, and shows me how much Sapphire has changed.  
*sniff*

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	8. Chapter 7: A Closer Friendship

Rustfur and Sapphire were thrown roughly into the cage, tumbling several times.

"Oh, my aching..."

"Rustfur?"

Looking down, Rustfur blinked several times. He and Sapphire had come to rest in a heap, he being on top. Their eyes met for a brief moment; then, realizing who he was on top of, he leapt backwards.

"I-I'm sorry..." he stammered, blushing madly underneath his fur.

Sapphire scrambled up from her awkward position.

"It's okay." she replied quietly, suddenly self-conscious of her mussed and dirty fur.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Rustfur asked shyly.

"I taught myself." she answered, nervously cleaning her tail.

"How?"

"You have to teach yourself a lot of things when you're an orphan." she whispered, sounding as if she was about to start crying.

Rustfur shyly walked over to her side and sat down.

"If it helps at all," he began, "my mother was an orphan too."

"Really?"

"Yes, and both of my father's parents are orphans as well." he continued, finding it easier to talk to Sapphire.

"Thanks, I feel a little better. Its just that sometimes it feels like..." Rustfur edged a little bit closer to her, sensing that something was wrong."Like I'm the only orphan in the world!" She finally broke down in a fit of sobbing and tears began streaming from her azure eyes. Instinctively, she buried her head into Rustfur's fluffy beige neckfur. He blushed slightly at feeling her head against his chest. He almost pulled away, but somewhere deep inside of him, it felt right.

"Its okay." assured Rustfur, feeling as it someone else was speaking for him. He brought his head down and softly drew his tongue over Sapphire's head, just like his mother did. As he did this, he felt her breathing return to normal.

"Phew, that feels much better." sniffed Sapphire. "Normally, I don't show my emotions, because I've never had anyone to talk with."

"You can always talk to me, I'd be glad to listen."

Sapphire placed her head on his shoulder, her gaze saying everything.

They remained like this, neither saying anything, for some time. The feeling was broken when Rustfur's stomach gave off a loud gurgle.

"I never did eat those berries." he said, blushing hotly.

"It's fine, go get something to eat." laughed Sapphire, a smile forming on her tear-stained face.

Rustfur slowly bent down and took a bit of the Iapapa berry, unsure if he could handle the sour taste. To his surprise, he found that it wasn't as sour as he thought, maybe it was because he had a new friend in Sapphire, perhaps something more.

No sooner had he finished the berries than he gave way to a powerful yawn.

"Whoo! Sorry, I guess I didn't get much sleep last night, and all the excitement today only tired me out even more."

"I understand. I'm just as tired as you are. Fighting Dusk took more out of me than I thought. I think we could both use some rest." she suggested, yawning as well.

"Great idea." agreed Rustfur, curling up on the cage floor.

It took almost no time for him to become drowsy. Just before he fell asleep he felt something soft press against his back and a warm smell fill his nostrils. He looked up and saw Sapphire's blue eyes looking back at him. She had lay down next to him, and he could once again feel himself blushing at her touch.

"Thank you, Rustfur." she whispered, fighting off sleep.

"For what?" he asked, half asleep.

"For saving my life today. No one has ever done something like that for me before."

"Oh, you're welcome." he replied sleepily.

Sleep then overcame them both. Rustfur found for the first time in quite a while he was able to sleep without worrying about anything.

When Rustfur opened his eyes again, the sun had dropped below the treeline and the clearing was bathed in a dim orange light. He looked over at Sapphire, who was still asleep, breathing softly. For some time he just lay there, watching her. Just yesterday when he had met her, she was quick-tempered and untrusting. However, after he had saved her, she had mellowed out quite a bit. All she had needed was a friend. Rustfur was snapped out of his trance by a familiar voice.

"Rustfur, are you awake?"

He looked up from Sapphire and saw Softpaw standing outside his cage.

Rustfur carefully stood up, so as not to awaken Sapphire, and padded over to Softpaw.

"Hey, what's going on?" Rustfur yawned.

"Your family has come up with a plan to escape."

"Really? What is it?" asked Rustfur excitedly.

"Earlier today, your family saw Dusk limping out of the stone ring his guards took you into. Did you injure him?"

"Me? No, I can't fight to save my life." joked Rustfur.

"But, he can fight to save someone _else's_ life."

Rustfur looked over his shoulder to see Sapphire approaching him.

"Hey, you're awake. Are you feeling better?"

"Much better, thank you. That rest was just what I needed." she replied, nuzzling Rustfur.

"Softpaw, this would be the Pokemon that fought Dusk. This is Sapphire."

"I remember you. You were here last night." recalled Sapphire.

"You beat Dusk!?" Softpaw had a difficult time swallowing this information. "But you can't be any older than Rustfur!"

"What's wrong with that!?" demanded Sapphire, her quick temper briefly coming back to the surface.

"N-nothing..." stuttered Softpaw, a little startled by Sapphire's outburst.

"Calm down, Sapphire." Rustfur said gently. "Actually, I did injure Dusk. Sapphire tired him out, so I was able to further injure his foot."

"Did you plan to injure his foot?" questioned Softpaw.

"Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. I was just protecting Sapphire." replied Rustfur, glancing back at her through soft brown eyes. "So, what's this plan you told me about earlier?" he asked, looking towards Softpaw.

"Oh, right." began Softpaw. " If I can use Double Team to draw the attention of all the Sneasels away from your family's cage, they can escape and free you. Once Ravenpaw is free, he can take the place of one of my copies for a surprise attack."

"When are we going to start this?" inquired Rustfur.

"If everything goes right, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!?" Rustfur couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Yes. Everyone already knows. You just need to be ready. Oh, and just so you know, we'll most likely have to fight our way out. Be ready."

With this, Softpaw turned and melted into the dark forest. Rustfur faced Sapphire, a worried look on his face.

"I don't know if I can do this, Sapphire. I can't fight very well."

"You seemed to know what you were doing when you saved me." she whispered in his ear as she brushed by his face, drawing her tail under his chin.

"That's just it. I was only worried about protecting you." he answered.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you every step of the way." assured Sapphire.

"Thank you Sapphire." Rustfur said quietly. "Just hearing you say that gives me enough strength to fight a Gyarados."

Sapphire couldn't resist a slight giggle. "Thank you. But if this...Softpaw is right about tomorrow, then we could probably use some sleep."

"You're probably right." agreed Rustfur.

"I've got one question though."

"Yeah?"

"Where do you know Softpaw from?"

"He belongs to a friend of my Trainer's."

"Why is he out in the forest if he has a Trainer?" wondered Sapphire.

"After my Trainer and his friend freed Softpaw from Team Galactic, he wanted to return to the forest where he was born and help other Pokemon oppressed by them."

"Wait." interrupted Sapphire. "Did you say Team Galactic?"

"Yeah, why?"

Sapphire's deep blue eyes became as hard and as cold as ice.

"Team Galactic was the reason my father died!"

Rustfur couldn't think of anything to comfort Sapphire, who was on the verge of tears, so instead he offered her his shoulder to cry on. He soon felt Sapphire's head on his shoulder, but he wasn't blushing at all. He gently placed his head on Sapphire's and let his presence comfort her.

When she had calmed down Rustfur quietly said,

"I'm sorry about your father. You're not the only one Team Galactic has messed with."

"You too?" asked Sapphire, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Yes. Several days ago they severely injured my mother." Rustfur said, feeling tears coming to his eyes as well.

"Is she okay?"

"Yep, and if we can get out of this you'll be able to meet her and the rest of my family."

"It sounds like tomorrow will be busy, so let's get some sleep." Sapphire suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea."

The pair curled up together in the middle of the cage. Before she fell asleep, Sapphire glanced at Rustfur through half-closed eyes. She didn't understand; whenever she was near him, she was concerned about what her fur looked like. Why? Normally she wouldn't be concerned about something like that. She didn't dwell on the question long, as she was quickly enveloped by the black veil of sleep.

Unbeknownst to Rustfur and Sapphire, they had a visitor. When it was sure that they were both asleep, it slunk away towards a small cave. Inside this cave there were several dark shapes scurrying about. There was also a larger shape lying prone on a natural stone outcropping. The new presence in the cave approached the figure lying on the ledge and spoke in a refined voice,

"The captives are planning to escape, should I organize a resistance?"

Just then, a Sneasel ran by carrying a glowing crystal. The light from this crystal illuminated the figure on the rock. It was Dusk. He turned his head towards the source of the voice, a cream-colored cat-like Pokemon with a small red jewel on its forehead and replied,

"No, let them think they can get away with it, then we can stop them."

"I beg your pardon, but how do you plan to do that? The evolved ones look like they could fight extremely well against any number." the sleek cat Pokemon questioned.

"Go for the young one." Dusk answered flatly. "If we threaten to kill that one, all the others will stop fighting."

"Very well. I'll organize a party for a sneak attack." the Persian replied, bowing slightly, then turning to leave the cave.

"I can't let them escape. If I do, then it'll ruin my reputation." Dusk muttered to himself.

"What do you want?" a voice harshly inquired, made scratchy by the static of the speaker it was being broadcast over.

"I have an assignment for you." Cyrus said.

"Fine, what is it?" the voice scratched over the speaker.

"We need you to help us catch an elusive, blue-eyed Eevee."

"I trust you'll pay me well. As you know, I am rather busy and can't respond to every little request."

"You shall be handsomely rewarded." assured Cyrus.

"Good. I'll be a while in getting to Veilstone as I'm currently in Canalave and I have several stops in between."

"So be it. Just get to Veilstone the first chance you get." commanded Cyrus.

"Very well." answered the voice, before the speaker clicked off.

"Good. Maybe now we can get some results." Cyrus said to himself.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

You win forty-one points if you can correctly guess who Cyrus is talking to over the  
speaker. Why forty-one? Because forty-one is the answer to the meaning of the universe.  
Sorry...that was my weird side right there... *shot*

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	9. Chapter 8: The Fight Begins

"Rustfur! Help me!"

"Now it's your turn!"

Rustfur couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dusk had Sapphire around the neck, a viciously sharp claw threatening to cut her throat. If he took one step forward Sapphire would be killed for sure.

With tears streaming down his face, Rustfur hung his head in defeat.

"Please, don't hurt her." he pleaded. "Do whatever you want to me, just let her go."

"Whatever you say. I'll let her go, right after this."

Dusk swiftly tightened his grip around Sapphire's neck until there was a sickening snap.

Rustfur's eyes opened wide and he looked up at Dusk, who threw Sapphire's broken body towards him. Rustfur watched in horror as Sapphire crashed limply to the ground.

"No...NO!" he cried hoarsely, staring into the once-bright cobalt eyes, now clouding over with the mist of death. "Sapphire, no..." he sobbed, his tears falling onto her unmoving head. Rustfur heard paws crunching the gravel and looked up to see Dusk, standing over him, chuckling evilly.

"See, I told you I'd let her go."

Time seemed to stand still as Dusk swung his claws towards Rustfur's head. Rustfur closed his eyes and waited for the claws to meet their mark.

When he next opened his eyes he saw he was in his cage, with the sun slowly rising above the treetops. He was shaking violently and his fur was damp with a cold sweat. Instinctively, his very first thought was to find Sapphire. He swiftly looked around but didn't see her at first. Finally he saw her, sleeping peacefully and perfectly fine. It was then that he realized that he horrible scene he had just witnessed was a dream. Rustfur slowly exhaled with relief. He looked at Sapphire's sleeping form, watching her chest rise and fall as she slowly breathed in and out.

"Rustfur!" whispered a voice behind him.

He looked away from Sapphire and saw Softpaw standing outside his cage once again..

"What's up?"

"We're ready to start."

"What!? Now!?"

"Yes. Wake up Sapphire and get ready." Softpaw answered, turning away back towards the forest.

Rustfur turned back towards Sapphire and softly whispered into her ear,

Sapphire, wake up. We're starting the plan soon, and we'll need to be ready to fight."

At the mention of fighting, Sapphire came fully awake.

"Really? Let's make it look like we're not up to anything. Just act natural."

Back on the other side of the clearing, everyone was completely and alert.

"Are we all ready?" asked Needlefur, scanning the group in front of her.

"Absolutely." the group's reply came back extremely determined.

"Good. All we do now is wait."

"Hey you! Quick, someone help me catch this Umbreon!"

"There's one over here too!"

"They're everywhere!"

The shouts of the confused Sneasels indicated that Softpaw had started the plan.

"Wow, that was quick." commented Frostpelt.

"Okay, Leafpool, you know what to do." directed Needlefur.

"Right." replied Leafpool, a determined expression on her face.

Her normally leaf-like tail began to glow a bright green and elongated to the shape of a curved blade, with a wickedly sharp edge. With a powerful horizontal slash, the wooden bars of the cage were split cleanly in half and clattered to the cage floor. With a door now opened in the cage wall, Leafpool's tail returned to its normal appearance.

"Excellent work!" remarked Torrentpaw.

The seven Pokemon quickly jumped out of their cage and sprinted towards Rustfur's cage on the other side of the clearing. Rustfur and Sapphire had also heard the shouts of the Sneasels as they attempted to catch Softpaw's elusive Double Team clones.

"Rustfur!"

When he heard his name, he whirled around and caught sight of his mother on the other side of the cage wall.

"Mom?"

He was immediately at the cage wall, both of his forepaws placed on the bars to steady himself as he stood up. He frantically tried to push his muzzle through the bars to greet his parents. Sapphire quietly walked up behind him, staring in awe at the seven obviously powerful Pokemon Rustfur seemed so comfortable around. Leafpool bent down to Rustfur's level and gave him a swift lick on the tip of his nose.

"I'm happy to see you too, but we have to get out of here as fast as we can. Step back from the wall for a second."

Rustfur nodded and stepped back, his mother preparing a Leaf Blade strike to free him. Sapphire watched silently as Leafpool's tail took on a bright green glow. A slight movement off to the left caught her eye. It took her but a second to realize what it was.

"Look out! On the left!"

Everyone present looked in the indicated direction to see a Persian rush towards Leafpool with frightening speed, claws and teeth bared dangerously. The large cat Pokemon collided with the smaller Leafeon and both of them went down in a cloud of dust. Leafpool thrashed left and right to avoid the Persian's sharp claws as they sought her face. The only thing preventing her from effectively retaliating was the slightly sore wound on her leg.

"Mom!" exclaimed Rustfur, once again on his hind legs at the cage wall.

"Stand back, Rustfur."

He looked over his shoulder and saw Sapphire take a step forward , tail glowing brightly. He immediately realized her plan and stepped out of the way.

"Go for it." he replied.

With Rustfur out of the way, Sapphire whirled once and hammered the wall with her super-hard tail. This strike was so powerful it blew the whole side of the cage off. The pair gratefully leapt out of the cage. Rustfur darted to Needlefur's side, cautiously followed by Sapphire. He normally would have gone to his father's side, but his father had rushed to the aid of his mother.

Leafpool's struggles had become weaker and weaker as she ran out of energy. The Persian knew this and redoubled its attack, with each swipe of its sharp claws coming closer to Leafpool's face than the last. Just when she thought she wouldn't be able to dodge anymore attacks, Leafpool felt the weight of the Persian swiftly pulled off her. Fireheart had sunk his teeth deep into the Persian's tail, and with a quick twist, had thrown the cat-like Pokemon over his head and sent it crashing into the dirt a fair distance away. Fireheart was instantly at Leafpool's side, helping her to stand up. No sooner than she had reached her feet than she shouted,

"Fireheart! Behind you!"

Shocked at the volume of her voice, he whirled around and saw the Persian hurtling towards him. Instinctively, he placed himself protectively in front of Leafpool, his teeth bared and fur standing on end. Before he could strike out at the Persian, it was hit from behind by an extremely powerful shock. Even thought the Persian was several yards away, both Fireheart and Leafpool could feel the static from the impressive shock.

As the electricity dissipated, Fireheart saw his mother, Needlefur, standing some distance away, a slight smile on her face.

"Some Pokemon just don't know when to quit, do they?"

"Dad! Mom!"

Fireheart and Leafpool looked in the direction the voice came from and saw Rustfur running towards them. Both of them started towards him, with Fireheart walking right alongside Leafpool, supporting her as she walked. When Rustfur reached them, he furiously began rubbing himself against their forelegs.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay." Rustfur said happily. His parents said nothing, but responded by lowering their heads and nuzzling him warmly.

"Rustfur!"

He knew exactly who was calling him even before he turned around.

"Sapphire! These are my parents." explained Rustfur, indicating the Flareon and Leafeon standing behind him with a flick of his head. Sapphire, who was still a fair distance away, was about to answer, when she was interrupted by a piercing whistle. Accompanying this whistle, threescore Sneasels dropped out of the surrounding trees. Rustfur froze with fear as the Sneasels approached. Sapphire leapt forward to get to Rustfur's side, but one of the Sneasels formed a chunk of ice and hurled it almost instantly, faster than anyone could track.

Rustfur gasped when he saw the recipient of the attack. The shard of ice struck Sapphire in her midsection and sent her small frame bouncing through the dust and coming to rest about fifteen feet away from the base of a tree.

"Sapphire!" Rustfur started running towards her, but his path was swiftly blocked by a Sneasel. He quickly skidded to a halt and ran back to his parents. He huddled between them, but continued looking towards Sapphire, very concerned. He felt much better when he caught sight of Needlefur helping Sapphire up.

_Phew,_ thought Rustfur, _Needlefur will keep Sapphire safe._

Unfortunately, because Needlefur stepped away from Torrentpaw and her sons, the Sneasels had blocked them off from one another. Needlefur would now have to fight on her own.

"Heh, heh, heh. Did you really think you could escape that easily?"

Everyone present looked up into the branches of a large tree at the sound of the sinister chuckle. Only two knew the voice by name; Rustfur and Sapphire.

"Dusk!?" they both shouted incredulously.

"How did you find out about our plan?" demanded Rustfur.

"I have my ways." Dusk replied coolly.

"Now that you've got us trapped here, what do you plan to do with us?" asked Torrentpaw.

His reply fell heavily on the ears of Rustfur and his relatives.

"Kill them all."

At this command, the Sneasels began closing in on the three separate groups. No attacks were thrown, until one bold Sneasel who was a little braver than the others leapt forward to strike. He was quickly subdued by a Thunderbolt from Needlefur.

With that, the battle had begun!

Quite a few Sneasels moved forward, intent on taking down the Pokemon that had invaded their territory. Some held back, not wanting to face these powerful opponents.

Torrentpaw, Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, and Frostpelt were the first to come under serious attack. Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw responded quickly, using Psychic to pick up a Sneasel apiece. They then slammed the Sneasels together roughly, tossed them away and moved onto another pair. Torrentpaw and his son, Frostpelt, were also fighting efficiently as well, combining their Ice Beams into one extremely cold, swirling blast of energy. Occasionally, Torrentpaw would soak a Sneasel with Water Pulse and then Frostpelt would freeze the wet Sneasel in place with Blizzard. After several of these combos, Torrentpaw found himself standing in a small puddle of water. He used this to defend himself from attacks. Whenever an attack was thrown at him, he would swiftly melt into the puddle to avoid it. Frostpelt had also devised a defensive strategy as well. If a Sneasel attempted an attack with its claws, he would flash-freeze his fur into a protective coat of sharp icy needles, effectively deterring any physical attack. If a projectile was thrown at him, he would use Mirror Coat and reflect it back.

Needlefur had been prepared for a tough fight, as she thought she would have to protect both her and this Eevee. She was very surprised when she saw how well this young Eevee could fight.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" asked Needlefur, downing an attacking Sneasel with a swift burst of electricity, then glancing slightly over her shoulder.

"I'll tell you later, when it's not so dangerous." answered Sapphire, tossing a Sneasel over her head, like she had done to Dusk, then knocking it out of the air with an expertly aimed Shadow Ball.

Dusk cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected his prisoners to fight back so well. He glanced towards Fireheart, Leafpool, and their son. While they were fending off their attackers, it was taking a tremendous amount of effort, as protecting Rustfur was their first priority.

_I've got to get that small one away from them. _Dusk thought to himself. It was then that he caught sight of the Ariados that had helped to catch these Pokemon in the first place. Thinking quickly, he called the spider Pokemon to him.

"Yes?" the red and black spider hissed.

"See that small brown Pokemon right there?"

"Yes."

"When the two larger Pokemon turn around, drag it up here with your String Shot."

"Right."

Unknowingly, Fireheart and Leafpool turned their gaze away from their son for a split second. It was all the Ariados needed. Three tough silken strands snaked down towards Rustfur, looping tightly around his midsection. He yelped in surprise as his feet left the ground. His cry startled everyone, but Sapphire and his parents were shocked the most.

Dusk swiftly caught the small figure as it shot upwards toward him. Quick as lightning, he had Rustfur in a headlock.

"Everyone freeze, or he gets it!"

Rustfur couldn't clearly hear Dusk's command, because he was becoming light-headed from lack of oxygen. One thing remained on his mind however; Sapphire. He looked down and spotted her looking back at him, her cerulean eyes filled with tears. One thought clouded his mind as he fought to hold on to his rapidly slipping consciousness.

_Now I might never be able to tell Sapphire how I feel about her._

Just before he lost consciousness, he vaguely felt an impact from behind and noticed himself falling towards the forest floor. The image of Sapphire's shocked tear-stained face was the last thing he recalled seeing before he slipped into the black void of unconsciousness.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Yes, here we have another battle scene. Oh, another forty-one points to people  
who know what's happening between Rustfur and Sapphire. You're as blind as a  
Zubat if you _can't_ see what's happening.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	10. Chapter 9: A Look at the Past

"Rustfur, wake up!"

Ever since Rustfur had fallen from the tree, Sapphire hadn't left his side. Both Needlefur and Torrentpaw had tried approaching Rustfur, but Sapphire had turned them away with a cold stare. Despite this, Fireheart and Leafpool were determined to be with their son. When Sapphire glared at them, Leafpool merely returned the stare.

"Go away." Sapphire said quietly, looking at Rustfur's unconscious form.

"No." Leafpool replied stubbornly. "We're his parents, and we're staying right here."

"Fine."

Fireheart and Leafpool lay down next to their son, opposite Sapphire. Shortly after, the crunch of paws on gravel indicated the approach of another creature. Fireheart looked back over his shoulder and spotted Swiftclaw walking towards him.

The Espeon had heard from his parents that Sapphire wasn't letting anyone near Rustfur, so he looked towards the blue-eyed Eevee and politely asked,

"May I see how Rustfur is doing?"

Surprisingly, Sapphire didn't argue at all. She merely nodded slightly, not saying anything.

Swiftclaw nodded in response and padded over to Rustfur. He lowered his head to Rustfur's small chest and listened intently.

When he pulled his head back, he had a contented smile on his face.

"He'll be just fine. He's going to be quite sore, but he didn't sustain any serious injuries."

At hearing this, Sapphire's ears stood up straight and her eyes lit up.

"Really?" she asked hopefully, glancing back at Rustfur.

Swiftclaw nodded and smiled warmly.

Almost laughing with joy, Sapphire turned around and crouched down near Rustfur's head.

"Rustfur, can you hear me?"

When he didn't respond, Sapphire gently licked him on his cheek.

"Mom?"

Lealpool quickly stood up and stepped to Rustfur's side.

"I'm right here." she quietly responded.

Rustfur slowly opened his eyes, and although he couldn't see clearly the face in front of him he could distinctly smell his mother and father. He could also smell two familiar scents, but he had trouble assigning faces to them in his groggy state of mind. When his vision cleared, he was greeted by a pair of shining blue eyes. Immediatly, he recognized who it was.

"Sapphire? Is that you?"

"Mmhmm." she murmured quietly.

"Ow..." Rustfur grimaced with pain as he slowly sat up. "What happened?"

"You fell out of a tree."

Still sitting, Rustfur looked back over his shoulder. He hadn't noticed his mother and father sitting behind him until his mother had spoken up.

"Well, that explains why I'm so sore." he quipped, experimentally stretching his right hind leg.

"Easy, Rustfur. Don't force it." cautioned Leafpool.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm fine." he assured, not wanting to seem weak in front of Sapphire.

Slowly and with a good deal of effort, Rustfur willed himself to stand up. When he reached his feet, he was trembling like a leaf in a heavy breeze. He thought he was going to collapse from exhaustion when he felt a warm body press up against his side steadying him.

"Rustfur, take it easy. I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to show me that you're strong. You don't have to prove anything to me, I already know that you're strong." Sapphire said quietly, nuzzling Rustfur gently.

"Well, Rustfur, maybe now that you're awake you can tell us who your friend is."

Both Rustfur and Sapphire looked up at the voice.

"Swiftclaw?"

So that was the other presence Rustfur had detected.

"This is Sapphire." he answered warmly, looking towards the smiling blue-eyed Eevee sitting next to him. Rustfur quickly looked around and asked, "Where's everyone else?"

"Sapphire turned most of them away." answered Fireheart."The only two she didn't turn away were Ravenpaw and Softpaw. That's only because they're watching Dusk."

"Your new friend can be quite stubborn when she wants to."

Sapphire glanced over her shoulder and fixed Leafpool with an intense glare.

"Excuse me!?"

Once again, Sapphire's quick temper had boiled to the surface. Rustfur turned his head slightly and lightly drew his tongue over Sapphire's trembling shoulder. As he did this, he felt her body stop shaking and her breathing returned to normal.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to explode at you like that." Sapphire solemnly replied, turning to face Leafpool.

"Think nothing of it." Leafpool said calmly. "In fact, you remind me of myself when I was younger. I had quite a stubborn streak back then."

"Really, Mom? I didn't know that."

"Yep." Fireheart answered. "I'm surprised you didn't inherit your mother's stubbornness."

"I'm rather surprised as well. Both of my parents were very stubborn." added Leafpool.

"Excuse me, but Rustfur told me that you were an orphan. Is that true?" asked Sapphire.

"Yes, it is." Leafpool said quietly. "While I am an orphan, I did know my parents very well. My mother was a Vaporeon and my father a Glaceon. I knew them for about two months."

"Oh, I see." responded Sapphire.

In the brief silence that followed, a low gurgle could be clearly heard.

"Heh, I guess all the excitement today has made me hungry." Rustfur said sheepishly.

"We'll get you something." offered Fireheart, beckoning Leafpool and Swiftclaw with a flick of his head. Sapphire began to follow when Rustfur stopped her.

"Sapphire, wait." he began slowly. "I...I've got something to tell you."

While he looked for a way to tell Sapphire how he felt, she spoke up.

"Actually, Rustfur, I've got something to tell you too."

"What is it?"

"I've been thinking," she started hesitantly. "I need someone to talk to."

"You can talk to me whenever you want. I'll always listen."

"Thank you, Rustfur." she said quietly, staring into his soft brown eyes. Rustfur stared back, lost in Sapphire's ocean-blue eyes. Neither of them knew how long they sat like this until,

"Aachooo!"

The pair jumped with fright at the violent sneeze. Without realizing, Sapphire huddled up against Rustfur's side for protection. Rustfur scanned the area where he had thought the sneeze had come from, ready to fight if he had to. Although he was still extremely sore he was prepared to defend Sapphire. When nothing happened for about fifteen minutes, Rustfur let the fur along his spine return to a normal, flattened position.

"I guess whatever it was is gone now." Rustfur said quietly, glancing down at Sapphire. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Y-yeah..." she replied, her voice cracking slightly.

Rustfur noticed this and asked in a slightly concerned voice,

"Is it about your parents?"

Sapphire nodded slightly, chewing on her bottom lip and tears forming in the corners of her cerulean eyes.

"Sapphire..." he began in a comforting tone. "You don't have to tell me until you want to."

"No. I...I need to tell someone about this. The sooner the better."

"Are you sure?" asked Rustfur.

"Yes." Sapphire answered, in a voice filled with determination and just a touch of sadness.

"Okay. Tell me however much you want to. I'm here for you." he replied softly.

"Thanks." she began quietly. "I knew my father for a short time. About a month actually." Sapphire paused here, and when she resumed speaking, her voice carried a distinct sob. "My mother died after giving birth to me. Normally, she wouldn't have had a problem, but while delivering me, she became incredibly weak."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did she become so weak?" Rustfur inquired.

"The moon." Sapphire quickly answered.

Rustfur's eyes opened wide with a look of realization as he flashed back to when Needlefur was telling him about when Ravenpaw was affected by a blue moon. His eyes grew even wider as he put two and two together; if Sapphire's mother died because of a blue moon, then Sapphire's mother must have been an Umbreon. If Sapphire was born during a blue moon, and including the fact that blue moons are incredibly rare, then that meant...

Rustfur almost fainted when he realized this. Sapphire felt him sway slightly and asked,

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." he stammered quickly shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Just one question though."

"What is it?" sniffed Sapphire.

"Was your mother an Umbreon?" Rustfur hesitantly asked.

"Yes." Sapphire replied, eyes wide in shock. "How'd you know?"

"When you mentioned your mother being affected by the moon, I guessed that your mother was an Umbreon."

"But how did you know that Umbreons were affected by a blue moon?" asked Sapphire, still astonished.

"The Umbreon you saw earlier today was affected by it about two years ago." Rustfur answered. "Please continue." he finished.

"Okay." she started. "Since you already know what my mother was, I suppose I should tell you about my father. My father was an Espeon, and even though he possessed powerful psychic ablilities, he preferred physical combat. He would only use them to protect me. But one day even they weren't enough. About a month after I was born, several Absols controlled by Team Galactic attacked us." Sapphire spat out "Team Galactic" as if the very word was venomous. Sapphire then continued in a low voice, "That day was the worst day of my life. My father was doing a excellent job of fighting off the Absols, until one of them got behind him. Sinking its teeth into his hind leg, the Absol caused him to collapse. The other Absols the leapt upon him, clawing and biting fiercely.

'Sapphire, run! Now! Get as far away from here as you can!'

I didn't argue. I turned and ran into the forest as fast as my legs could carry me. A short time later, there was a large explosion accompanied by shouts of pain. I then heard footsteps quickly getting closer. Terrified, I dove into a low bush, trembling with fear. I held my breath as the humans ran past my hiding place. When they had left and I had stopped shaking, the intensity of the situation hit me and I cried myself to sleep, having lost both of my parents."

Sapphire paused again, but only because she had broken down in a fit of sobbing. Rustfur felt her shaking and shifted his position so her head was resting on his shoulder. Seeing Sapphire in this kind of pain was tearing him apart on the inside.

"Sapphire, I'm so sorry." he said softly, almost in tears himself. Nothing more was said until Sapphire had calmed down enough to speak.

"Whew, now that I've told someone I don't feel so bad about it." sighed Sapphire.

"I'm glad you feel better." Rustfur said, smiling softly.

"Actually, my parents did give me something good."

"Really? What?"

"First off, because I was born during a blue moon, some of the radiation passed through my mother and into me." she explained. "You can probably guess what it affected." Sapphire laughed, winking at Rustfur. "Second, due to both of my parents having psychic abilities, they were passed to me in the form of enhanced sight, hearing, and sense of smell."

"That helps explain how you fight so efficiently." Rustfur commented. "Maybe one day you can teach me."

"Of course." Sapphire answered warmly.

Rustfur was about to thank her when he was interrupted by a loud gurgling noise.

"Ugh. Not again. I forgot how hungry I was. I wonder when they'll be back with food."

As if on cue, Fireheart stepped into the clearing, followed by Leafpool and Swiftclaw.

"Wow, that's convenient." Rustfur was slightly startled at his father's sudden appearance.

"Rustfur, we've got some food for you and your friend." Leafpool called out.

"What did you find for me?" Rustfur asked eagerly.

Fireheart placed the small leaf packet he was carrying on the ground and answered,

"Pecha berries."

"Awesome!"

Sapphire jumped slightly at Rustfur's exclamation. Despite still being slightly sore, Rustfur leapt up and tore open the small packet of berries. He fell upon the pink berries with a healthy appetite. Swiftclaw approached Sapphire with another small packet. He dropped it at his feet and asked politely,

"We didn't know what type of berry you liked, so we guessed. Is that okay?"

"That's perfectly fine. I'm used to eating all different kinds of berries. I've had to find food for myself for quite a while. I'm not particular to any one berry." she answered, nosing the packet open.

Several small, bright red berries spilled out. Sapphire sniffed one lightly and instantly identified it.

"Cheri berries. A little spicy, but they'll do."

Sapphire bent down and bit into the perfectly round crimson berry. A small amount of the berry's red juice dribbled out of the corner of her mouth as she chewed slowly. She noticed this and quickly lapped it up. A strange noise caused her to look in Rustfur's direction.

'Ppppbtth! Mom! Stop!" Rustfur spluttered as his mother lovingly cleaned his face of pink sticky berry juice.

"I'm done. I'm done." Leafpool laughed, withdrawing her head from her squirming son. "Now that you've had something to eat, do you feel better?"

"Mush better." he replied, slowly standing up.

"Good." Fireheart stepped to his mate's side. "My mother wanted to talk with you as soon as you woke up."

"All right." he agreed, starting after his parents. Sapphire stood and trotted after Rustfur. He started slightly when he felt Sapphire brush lightly against his tail.

"You're very lucky, Rustfur." she whispered into his ear. "You've got two parents who love you very much; you shouldn't be ashamed of that."

"Thank you." he whispered back, a kind look in his brown eyes.

Fireheart and Leafpool furtively glanced over their respective shoulders at Rustfur and Sapphire. She was helping support him as he walked. His head was resting on top of hers and he didn't notice his parents looking at him. Fireheart and his mate then glanced at each other.

"Remember when we met?" asked Fireheart quietly.

Leafpool nodded slightly.

"I sure do. Those two remind me a lot of us."

Rustfur and Sapphire continued closely behind Rustfur's parents, unaware of ther conversation taking place right in front of them.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Expect to hear (and see) a lot more about Sapphire's parents throughout the rest  
of _A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh_. I know what you're thinking: "How can that be possible  
if they're both dead?" Trust me, you'll find out soon enough.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	11. Chapter 10: Family Ties

"Mom? Dad?"

Fireheart stepped around a tree, expecting to see his parents. When he didn't spot them, he stopped stock still. Rustfur didn't notice and walked right into his father.

"Oof!"

Rustfur sat down in the dust hard.

"Still a little bit out of it, huh, Rustfur?"

A voice off to the left caused everyone to swiftly look in the direction it had come from.

"Frostpelt?" asked Fireheart, echoed by Leafpool and Rustfur. Sapphire stood quietly next to Rustfur who was picking himself out of the dirt, her tail flicking back and forth idly.

"His name is Frostpelt. He's mine and Fireheart's youngest brother."

Sapphire looked over her shoulder to see Swiftclaw walking up behind her. "How many brothers does your father have?" she asked Rustfur in a low voice.

"Just three." he said out of the corner of his mouth. "You've already met Swiftclaw and now Frostpelt. His other, oldest, brother is Ravenpaw, an Umbreon."

"Is he older than your father?"

"No, my dad is the oldest of his parents' four kits." Rustfur explained.

"Then the only two left to be his parents are the Jolteon and Vaporeon." guessed Sapphire. "Am I right?"

Rustfur nodded. "Yep. His mother is the Jolteon and is named Needlefur. Torrentpaw is the Vaporeon and his father. You'll probably meet them soon."

Their conversation was interrupted, as Fireheart had finished speaking with Frostpelt, and approached them.

"My mother and father went to the place where Ravenpaw and Softpaw are watching Dusk." Fireheart explained.

Rustfur nodded but still had a question. "Where are they?"

Fireheart indicated the direction Frostpelt had approached from. "Over that way. C'mon, let's go."

"Okay." Rustfur said, following his father, mother and Swiftclaw into the bushes, with Sapphire close by him. After wriggling through a particularly thorny section of the bush, Rustfur tumbled out into another small clearing.

"Ouch..." Rustfur pawed at something just behind his right ear, but he couldn't seem to dislodge it.

"Here, hold still."

Rustfur glanced back and saw Sapphire reaching up to his ear. He assisted her by lowering his head. Sapphire latched her teeth into the small object behind Rustfur's ear, and giving a small tug, pulled the offending object out of Rustfur's coat.

Rustfur felt a slight twinge and looked at Sapphire. She had a small burr in her mouth.

"That was it?" Rustfur couldn't believe it. Such a small thing was irritating him so much. "Thanks, Sapphire, that feels a lot better."

Sapphire spat out the burr and smiled warmly. "It's not a problem. You're welcome."

"Let me go! You've got no reason to imprison me!"

An angry shout from across the clearing caught the attention of both of them. They shot each other a questioning glance and padded off in the direction of the voice. From a fair distance away, the two Eevee's could see Fireheart and his relatives gathered around a stout tree.

"I think we have plenty of reasons, considering what you've done to us in the past couple days."

Rustfur immediately recognized the second voice. "Mom?"

Hearing her son, Leafpool turned slightly to greet him. Even though Dusk was tied to the tree by ropes made from his net, he attempted an attack on the unsuspecting Leafeon. He quickly regretted this, as the action elicited a painful electric shock from Needlefur.

Accompanying this burst of electricity, Needlefur gave a low, dangerous growl, her pelt bristling aggressively. "Stop it, now. You're making it harder for yourself by acting like that."

Just then, Rustfur and Sapphire joined the group. Letting her fur lay down normally, Needlefur spoke to Rustfur calmly. "What do you think we should do with him?"

Rustfur was taken aback. "You're asking me?"

"Of course." replied Torrentpaw. "After all, he did almost kill you."

Rustfur was still shocked. "I guess, um, just let him go and make sure he never bothers us again."

"What!?"

Rustfur winced as Sapphire shouted furiously, almost directly down his ear.

"You can't possibly be serious!" Sapphire was beside herself with anger. "Rustfur! He almost _killed_ you!"

"We can't just kill him in cold blood right here and now." Rustfur answered firmly.

"Well," began Swiftclaw, glaring down at Dusk, a cold unforgiving look in his purple eyes. "It looks like he's decided to forgive you. Can't say that you'd do the same, huh?"

Dusk merely snarled in response.

"Fine, untie him." sighed Needlefur.

Ravenpaw and Softpaw nodded and went to either side of the tree. They each grabbed an end of the rope and pulled, loosening Rustfur's former lead. Unfortunately, it was a little too loose. Dusk easily shrugged off the slackened rope and bolted towards Rustfur, claws extended. Sapphire reacted with lightning speed, leaping in front of Rustfur and pushing him backwards. This backward movement prevented Dusk's strike from being fatal. Sapphire felt a sharp pain on her right cheek, and almost instantly after, in her right forepaw. Just before Dusk attacked again, Rustfur darted around Sapphire and knocked Dusk roughly to the ground.

"Leave, before I change my mind." Rustfur said, standing over Dusk, a dangerous note in his voice.

"Get off me!" hissed Dusk, shoving Rustfur forcefully off him. Rustfur stared back, his eyes as cold as ice-coated stone. Dusk found he couldn't return the stare, this wasn't the same small, frightened Eevee he imprisoned two days ago, there was a new, dangerous glint in his eyes. Dusk recoiled and slunk away, flanked by Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw.

Rustfur turned back to Sapphire and his breath caught in his throat.

"Sapphire! You're...you're bleeding!"

Sapphire slowly sat up and blinked several times to clear her vision. "Where?" she asked.

"Your cheek."

Sapphire reached up with her right paw to feel what Rustfur was talking about. When she set her paw down, the wet stickiness where her paw had been, accompanied by a sharp pain told her something was wrong. She and Rustfur looked down. There was no mistaking the bright crimson hue of blood. Dusk's claw had pierced the top of her foot.

"Your foot! Sit down and get your weight off it." Rustfur said, helping Sapphire sit down.

"The cut isn't too deep." Sapphire said calmly, gingerly drawing her tongue over her injured paw. "It looks like it isn't bleeding anymore."

"You've still got some on your cheek." Rustfur pointed out. "Let me get it."

When Sapphire felt the gentle rasp of Rustfur's tongue against her cheek, she did something she'd _never_ done before; she blushed. In fact, she was blushing so intensely, she was sure Rustfur could feel it. He was actually blushing slightly as well.

"There. This cut wasn't too deep either. Its stopped bleeding, as well. Your right foot will be tender for several days." Rustfur said softly, withdrawing his head from Sapphire's dampened cheek.

"Ahem."

While Rustfur was cleaning Sapphire's cheek of the small trickle of blood, he was completely oblivious to everyone around him. The sound of Torrentpaw's voice brought him back to reality.

"Oops, sorry. I forgot to introduce my friend. Her name is Sapphire."

Sapphire dipped her head in respect, saying, "Glad to meet you."

Rustfur turned back to Sapphire and began introducing the Pokemon around him, pointing to each one with a nod of his head. "You've already met both of my parents, but you don't know them by name. The Flareon is my father and is named Fireheart. Leafpool is the Leafeon standing next to him and is my mother. The Jolteon is named Needlefur and is my dad's mother. Her mate is Torrentpaw, the Vaporeon. My dad also had three brothers. The only one that's here right now is Frostpelt. You've already met Swiftclaw, an Espeon."

Sapphire nodded respectfully to each one of them. Rustfur turned at the sound of paws crunching on the forest floor. "There. That's Ravenpaw over there." he finished, indicating the approaching Umbreon. "Ravenpaw! I want to introduce you to Sapphire." he added.

Ravenpaw smiled warmly as he slowly neared them. He stared at them intently; they looked almost identical, except for Sapphire's striking azure eyes. When he got closer, he saw some more, slightly more subtle differences. Sapphire was a little shorter than Rustfur. She was also a touch leaner than he was. He could also see a small amount of muscle under her sleek brown fur. She looked as if she could easily take care of herself in a fight. Judging from the small nick in her right ear, it appeared as if she had see a fair number of them, too. There was something...familiar about her, but he couldn't put his paw on it.

"Wow," commented Frostpelt, "you've got quite an piercing set of blue eyes."

"Thank you." Sapphire said politely.

"That's it!"

Everyone present swiftly looked at Ravenpaw, all of them startled by his shout.

"What's it?" asked Swiftclaw, staring questioningly at his brother.

"When I saw Sapphire, I sensed a familiar energy inside her, but I couldn't figure out what it was until now." Ravenpaw explained. "It's the radiation from a blue moon."

"How did you know?" asked Sapphire in astonishment.

"I know because it's the same energy in my body. You were born during a blue moon, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was. Why?" asked Sapphire, questioning Ravenpaw with her blue-eyed gaze.

"Because," Rustfur started, "I was born during a blue moon too."

"Really? Then that means-"

"We're the same age." Rustfur finished for her.

Leafpool smiled as she watched Rustfur and Sapphire snuggled against each other like they had known each other their whole lives. Secretly, Leafpool winked at Fireheart, indicating Rustfur and Sapphire. Her mate understood perfectly and nodded.

Rustfur opened his eyes and glanced at Sapphire, who was still favoring her wounded paw, and asked, "My mom said that I fell out of a tree. What exactly happened?"

"First off, you fell out of that tree right over there." she said, turning slowly and indicating the tree she mentioned. "Dusk had you by the neck and was threatening to kill you unless all of us stopped fighting."

"Then how did I fall?" he asked.

"Softpaw attacked Dusk from behind and caused him to drop you." Sapphire explained.

"Wow, that's a tall tree." commented Rustfur. "Say, did you know that Softpaw is an orphan too? He also grew up in these woods."

"Is he a good fighter?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you think he would object to a friendly fight?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"Are you serious?" Rustfur was shocked. "Your foot is still injured!"

"So what? Its not bleeding anymore. I can stand on it." Sapphire placed her paw on the ground, wincing slightly as she did so.

"See? It still hurts! Can you even walk on it?"

Sapphire walked a small circle around him, just to prove that she could walk with an injured paw. Having done this, she sat down next to Rustfur, flicking her tail back and forth mischievously.

"Fine." he sighed. "I'll go ask him."

Rustfur stood up and walked over to Softpaw, with Sapphire behind him. "Softpaw, would you mind having a friendly match against Sapphire?"

"Not at all." he answered. "I'd love to face off against someone who fought Dusk and won. You should probably put a dressing on your paw, though."

"Okay." Sapphire agreed. "Give me a little time to improvise one." she finished, turning and padding over to a low growing bush. Sticking her muzzle into the bush, she snuffled around for a brief time. When she pulled her head out, she had a bunch of thin, white strands in her mouth.

"What are those?" asked Rustfur, never having seen the strange substance before.

Sapphire quickly wrapped the white thread onto her paw. Then, flexing her paw to test how it held, she answered, "They're cobwebs. They're extremely useful for stopping infection and bleeding." Satisfied with how the cobwebs felt, Sapphire tapped her paw on the ground seeing if it still hurt. When it didn't, she turned back to Softpaw and said with a smirk, "I'm ready when you are."

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Yes, we have _another_ fight scene coming up. This time, though, it's a friendly one.  
Get used to this; Sapphire is stubborn, headstrong, skilled at fighting, and has a  
short temper. Fun combination, right?

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	12. Chapter 11: Dusk Ends At Dawn

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Rustfur, stop worrying. I'll be fine. I can take care of myself." Sapphire assured him, lightly brushing past his side to sit down in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Rustfur said, bowing his head. "I'm worried, because you're still hurt and at a disadvantage. Softpaw is a very good fighter. I'm also worried because that's just what families do."

Sapphire stood up and stepped up to Rustfur. "Thank you. No one has ever worried about me before, other than my father." she said, laying her head on Rustfur's cream-colored neckfur.

He gently placed a warm lick between her ears and softly laid his head on hers. "You're welcome." he said quietly

"Let's go." Sapphire said, stepping back from Rustfur and turning to head towards where Softpaw was waiting. Rustfur and stood and followed her closely.

A short time later they came across a small clearing. They spotted Softpaw standing on the opposite side, waiting patiently.

"I trust you." Rustfur whispered in her ear, before he went to go stand next to his parents.

"Are you ready?" Softpaw called across to Sapphire.

"Of course." Sapphire called back.

"Good." Softpaw then instantaneously vanished from sight, beginning the friendly duel. Realizing this as a Faint Attack and knowing that sight would be useless, Sapphire closed her eyes, and focused on listening for Softpaw's footfalls. There! On her left! A quick right sidestep let her easily dodge the strike. Softpaw, however, was far from done. Glowing brightly, he split himself into eighteen copies. Sapphire quickly pivoted in place, scanning the copies with her sharp blue-eyed gaze. Identifying the real Softpaw, she quickly loosed a Shadow Ball at him. He swiftly jumped several feet backward to avoid it and also to put some distance between them. Sapphire also jumped backwards as well. Staring at each other, they realized they were evenly matched. Softpaw took a small step forward. Sapphire saw this and exploded towards him, leaving behind a large cloud of dust. A trail of glowing energy followed her as she streaked towards Softpaw.

Rustfur's eyes opened wide; he had never seen any Pokemon move that fast. Not even Needlefur. Softpaw reacted with surprising speed, once again disappearing with Faint Attack. Sapphire checked herself, paws throwing up dust as she ground to a halt. Once again, she closed her eyes and listened for his footsteps. Focusing her hearing to the limit, she still couldn't pinpoint his location. Her eyes snapped open when she realized why she couldn't hear him. He wasn't on the ground! Knowing that he had to reappear before he could strike, she swiftly looked around, ready to leap out of the way. She was rather startled when Softpaw reappeared right in front of her. As fast as she was, Sapphire couldn't avoid the small explosion caused the dissipation of the dark energy used by Faint Attack. The force of the blast knocked her into the air towards a tree. Thinking quickly, Sapphire readied her paws of contact with the tree trunk. The instant she felt her paws touch the bark, she pushed off with all the force her paws could muster. This intense acceleration caused a backblast of air that rattled the branches of the tree.

The trail of white energy appeared once more as Sapphire shot towards Softpaw. When he saw her jump off the tree he sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding the blazingly fast attack. Sapphire's next move caught him completely off guard. As soon as she touched down, Sapphire turned and shot out of the dust cloud generated as she landed. Softpaw hadn't expected her to be able shift directions that fast at that high a speed. Sapphire took out all four of his paw as she sped by. Skidding to a stop, Sapphire turned back towards Softpaw, who had been knocked down when she blazed past him.

"Done yet?" she asked, a slight smirk appearing on her face.

"Not yet." Softpaw answered, picking himself out of the dust. Suddenly Softpaw bolted towards her with and impressive burst of speed, creating a white trail of energy as he ran. Sapphire shot towards him with her own Quick Attack. Seconds before they met, Sapphire gave a low hop and spun horizontally, nose to tail. This drill-like movement created a cushion of air between her and Softpaw, barely lifting her over his ears. Landing neatly on all four paws, Sapphire whirled, and with a flick of her head, half buried a Shadow Ball in the ground.

Softpaw had only just checked his Quick Attack when he turned and saw the orb of dark energy cutting a furrow in the ground as it streaked towards him. It was coming at him too fast to avoid, so he braced for impact. The explosion created by the crackling sphere of energy threw up a large cloud of dust. When the dust cleared, he was picking himself up, shaking his head, saying, "All right, all right. Now I'm done."

Sapphire walked up to Softpaw, breathing lightly. "Wow. You're a quick thinker and a good fighter. That was the most challenging match I've had in quite a while." she commented.

"You're a great fighter yourself." Softpaw responded, almost out of breath. "I can see how you beat Dusk."

"Sapphire!"

Hearing her name, Sapphire turned to see Rustfur running towards her. When her fighting spirit had been roused, she had forgotten he was watching.

"That was amazing! I've never seen anyone move _that_ fast! How did you learn to do that?" he asked excitedly.

"Practice. Lots of it." she replied coolly.

"Would you mind teaching me sometime?"

"Of course not." Sapphire said warmly. Bowing her head, she winced and shook slightly.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?" Rustfur asked, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now that the excitement has worn off, I'm exhausted."

"I'm not much better off. Remember, I was the one that fell out of the tree."Rustfur laughed. "I've got one question though."

"What?"

"I didn't see you use Iron Tail at all. Why?"

"I guess I just didn't think about it." she answered.

"Oh, okay. Lets get some sleep. I'm beat."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." Sapphire agreed, yawning widely.

"The pair padded off, side by side, to find a comfortable resting place. Fireheart and Leafpool followed a respectable distance behind, smiling warmly at one another as they watched the two young Eevees walking ahead of them, Sapphire's head on Rustfur's shoulder.

When Sapphire next opened her eyes, a thin gray fog had descended upon the clearing where she and Rustfur had decided to sleep. _Wow, I must have slept through the whole night._ she thought. Standing up slowly, not wanting to wake Rustfur, who was still sleeping soundly, she shook herself briskly to remove the dew from her smooth brown coat. Stretching quickly, she turned back to Rustfur, and bending down, she gently licked him on his cheek. His closed eyelids twitched slightly and a smile crept across his lips. Smiling at Rustfur like a mother smiles at her son, Sapphire turned and softly trotted off towards the edge of the forest.

A brief time later, Rustfur slowly came around. Stretching intensely, he immediately noticed the absence of a warm body at his side. Leaping up, he became instantly alert. "Sapphire! Sapphire! Where are you?" he called out as loud as he could without waking his parents, who were still asleep on the other side of the clearing. It was then that he felt a damp spot of fur on his left cheek. _Okay, so Sapphire wasn't taken._ he thought, realizing that Sapphire wouldn't have had time to lick his cheek if she was in danger. Now that he had calmed down, he was able to think clearly. Sniffing the chilly morning air, he could distinctly pick up Sapphire's warm, comforting scent on the mist-laden breeze. He noted that it was still fresh, so that meant Sapphire was here a short time ago.

Treading carefully, he followed the familiar scent into the trees. It wasn't long before he came across a clearing with a shallow stream flowing through it. He paused and scented the air again; Sapphire's scent was extremely strong here. He looked around in an effort to find her. He spotted her at the base of a small, but thick tree. She appeared to be studying the tree. Rustfur was mystified, but only for an instant.

Sapphire stepped back a considerable distance, as if preparing for something. Suddenly her tail lit up, a blinding white color. She then rushed toward the tree, jumping a short distance into the air. As she descended, she spun forcefully, whipping her tail into the tree, filling the air with crackling and splintering as the tree slowly toppled over.

Suddenly, it dawned on Rustfur why Sapphire didn't use her Iron Tail against Softpaw. If it had hit him it would have done serious damage.

Sapphire knew Rustfur was watching, she had heard him coming through the woods a while ago, but she didn't mind. She continued with her training. Moving to the bushy end of the tree, she lopped it off with a vertical Iron Tail swipe. That done, she went back to the tree's opposite end. Setting her shoulder against the tree bottom and planting all four of her paws firmly on the ground, she began pushing with all of her strength. At first the dense and heavy tree trunk refused to move. With the muscles on her legs standing out like cords, she called up even more strength from some hidden reserve and pressed even harder against the stubborn tree trunk. Then, the log moved. It was barely an inch, but Rustfur was astounded nonetheless. The log was about three times longer than Sapphire and easily twice as tall and twice as wide as she was.

Breathing heavily from the intense effort and with sweat beading on her forehead, Sapphire continued straining stubbornly against the trunk, pushing her muscles to the limit. Shaking with exhaustion, Sapphire finally pushed the titanic piece of wood into the middle of the clearing. Still trembling, Sapphire created a Shadow Ball the diameter of the tree trunk. Just before she loosed the sphere, a frigid beam of blue energy streaked out of a clump of trees on Sapphire's left side. Sapphire heard this coming and used the large Shadow Ball as a shield. The Ice Beam met with the orb of dark energy and exploded.

This blast sent Sapphire skidding backwards several feet. Exhausted as she was, she remained standing.

"Well, now you don't have your little friend here to help you. And, would you look at that, you're so tired you can barely stand."

Both Sapphire and Rustfur knew who the menacing laugh belonged to. Their suspicions were confirmed when they saw Dusk drop nimbly out of a tree.

"Maybe this time things will be different. A little more even, perhaps?"

Sapphire's exhausted state had done nothing to diminish her quick temper. "Are you kidding?! You trapped me with a net!"

"Yes, I did, and the only reason you're alive now is because your little friend had to save you. But he isn't here, is he?"

"That doesn't matter!" Sapphire snapped. "I can still take you out!"

"We'll see then won't we?" Dusk hissed, all the while slowly approaching Sapphire. With this, Dusk rushed the extremely tired Eevee, expecting to easily win.

He was extremely surprised when Sapphire skipped to the side and spun, landing a stinging Iron Tail strike in the middle of his back. This clever maneuver turned his speed against him, sending him face first into the dirt. Picking himself out of the dust, he charged her again, knowing she couldn't hold a defensive strategy much longer. Sapphire once again turned his momentum against him, except this time she fell onto her back and shot her paws into his midsection and threw him, much like in their first fight.

Her breath was coming in extremely short, uneven bursts by this time. Dusk stood up, furious that he had fallen for the same move again. Enraged, he bolted towards the stubborn Eevee yet again. Rustfur had to do something quick; Sapphire was having trouble merely standing up straight. Rustfur knew he couldn't go for help, Sapphire would surely be killed. Without any further thought, he leapt from his hiding spot and raced towards Dusk.

Sapphire stood lightly on her shaking paws, ready to sidestep the Weavile's mad charge. She avoided his attack easily enough, but Dusk had a different idea. Halting his charge just short of her, he aimed a low, sweeping kick at Sapphire's forelegs. She hadn't expected this and was caught completely off guard. Giving a yelp of surprise, she fell to the dusty ground, unable to stand back up, as her legs were numb from fighting in her tired state.

"Well, isn't this famil-Oof!"

Dusk was caught by surprise as Rustfur dealt him a heavy blow to his side, knocking him off balance. Rustfur landed expertly on his feet and followed up by nailing him with a Shadow Ball. The orb of purple and black energy exploded in Dusk's face, catapulting him back a considerable distance.

"Sapphire! Are you okay?" Rustfur asked urgently, turning his attention to her.

"Yeah, I'm okay. You got to him before he got to me." Sapphire managed to reply between heavy breaths. Slowly and with a good deal of effort, Sapphire willed herself to stand up. Rustfur offered his shoulder for her to lean on. "It looks like you've saved my life twice now." Sapphire said warmly, nuzzling Rustfur briefly.

"You should both pay more attention to what's happening around you!"

Dusk had finally recovered from Rustfur's surprise attack and retaliated swiftly. He once again ran towards the small pair.

"Rustfur, split up. If we do that, we might be able to double team him." Sapphire suggested.

Rustfur was reluctant to leave her side. "Sapphire, I don't think that's a good idea. You can barely stand on your own."

"Just do it!" she snapped.

Before they had a chance to do anything, Dusk was upon them. He roughly bulled Sapphire into the stream.

"Sapphire!"

Dusk turned his attention to the small Pokemon to his right.

"You... You're always saving her. You're beginning to irritate me. So... I'll get rid of you first, then I'll do away with her."

Rustfur's eyes became hard. "No, you won't."

"And I suppose you're going to stop me, right?"

"Watch me." Rustfur pounced on Dusk, sinking his small but sharp teeth into Dusk's forepaw.

"Gahhh! That's it! I'm sick of you!" Dusk hissed through clenched teeth. He then grabbed Rustfur around the neck and pulled him off his paw. "Now leave me alone!" Dusk then turned and forcefully threw Rustfur towards the tree Sapphire had felled earlier.

Rustfur cried in pain as his back slammed into the tree. Just before darkness surrounded him, he heard himself say, "Sapphire... I'm sorry."

Still exhausted, Sapphire lay in the stream, watching the horrible scene unfold before her eyes. Suddenly, she could no longer feel the fatigue in her legs. She stood up, water dripping off her pelt, her eyes burning with flames of cold fury.

"Dusk!"

Turning, he saw Sapphire glaring at him intensely. He felt the fur on the back of his neck prickle at the danger hidden in her voice.

"I've had it with you. You don't know when to quit. You've almost killed me twice, and if you've killed Rustfur, I swear I'll-I'll kill you! Even if it costs me my own life!"

With this declaration, Sapphire exploded out of the stream, kicking up a huge curtain of water behind her. There was no way Dusk could ever hope to dodge this Quick Attack; Sapphire was easily moving twice as fast as when she fought Softpaw. Dusk felt a crushing blow strike his chest and hurl him into the air. Looking down, he saw Sapphire disappear and instantly appear above him.

In reality, she had bolted to the nearest tree, and jumping towards it's trunk, she vaulted off it, appearing above Dusk in midair. Whirling fiercely, she hammered her glowing steel-hard tail into his back, rocketing him towards the ground at an incredible velocity. Dusk was instantly slain when he slammed into the ground. Sapphire landed on all fours, on the edge of the crater his body had made.

"Your days of tormenting innocent Pokemon are over." she said quietly. Then, she collapsed.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Yes, I lied, this chapter has _two_ fights in it. This chapter is why _A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh_  
has its "T" rating. And I do hope that none of you have become overly attached to Softpaw;  
he's left and gone off to help other Pokemon. He's not going to make any more appearances.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	13. Chapter 12: You're Not Alone

A bright light shining through Rustfur's eyelids slowly brought him around. He soon wished he hadn't come around; he could feel every heartbeat pounding like a trip hammer in the back of his head. It was some time before he had enough strength to stand up. When he did, the first thing he saw was a good sized crater directly in front of him. Looking down into the hole, he saw Dusk's broken body at the bottom.

Looking up again, he just happened to glance across the crater and spot a small pile on the other side. Something deep inside him told him to hurry. As he neared the small heap, he could clearly see that it was colored brown.

"Sapphire! No!" he shouted hoarsely, immediately by her side. "Sapphire! Say something! Please!" Even as he said this, he felt tears forcing themselves into his eyes. He couldn't believe it; he had lost the one he cared about the most.

Sapphire found herself standing in the middle of a large grassy field. Looking around, she couldn't see any other Pokemon at all. She was startled when she heard someone call out her name.

"Sapphire!"

Whirling quickly, she was astonished at what she saw. An Umbreon and Espeon were slowly padding towards her. Running towards them, she asked, "Mom? Dad?"

The two figures said nothing, but when Sapphire reached them she knew instantly that they were her parents. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and completely happy.

"I've missed you so much. I thought I'd never see either of you again."

The Umbreon spoke in a tender, motherly voice, "Sapphire, you've grown so much." Saying this, the Umbreon bent and licked Sapphire warmly on her head.

"I'm so glad you're okay. Now we can always be together, and nothing will ever separate us again." Sapphire said happily.

This time the Espeon spoke, "No, Sapphire, we can't."

"W-why?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Because," the Umbreon began, "this is just a dream."

"N-no..." stammered Sapphire, backing away and shaking her head in disbelief."It's too real to be a dream."

"Sapphire, listen." the Espeon said firmly. "You're asleep. We're here to warn you."

"About what?" she wondered, still reluctant to believe this was a dream.

"In the near future, you will come across someone who is known as a Pokemon Hunter. If you're not careful, you will be caught." the Umbreon cautioned.

Sapphire was a little unnerved by this news, but she didn't worry about it right now. "If this is a dream, will I ever see you again?" she asked, sadness clearly evident in her voice.

"Only time will tell." her father said calmly. Having said this, he and Sapphire's mother slowly began fading away.

"NO! Don't go! I don't want to lose you again!" cried Sapphire, tears streaming from her deep blue eyes. "You're the only two who've ever loved me!"

Rustfur noticed a strange noise coming from Sapphire. Was she crying? That meant she was alive. "Sapphire? It's okay, I'm here." he called softly to her, as she snuffled and wriggled back and forth in her sleep. Rustfur sat down next to her and began gently caressing her trembling head with his tongue.

"No...no! Don't leave me! Please don't go!"

Rustfur now knew why she was crying. She was dreaming about her parents.

"No! Please! Don't leave!" As her parents slowly faded, so too did the sunny field they were in. Just before they completely disappeared, Sapphire heard them both say,

"We love you, Sapphire."

They then vanished, the field disappearing too, leaving a void blacker than midnight. Sapphire stood cowering in the black space, feeling terrified and alone.

Her own voice sounded small and scared. "Mom? Dad? Please...come back. I-I'm scared." she pleaded, glancing back and forth nervously. A voice from the darkness startled her.

"Sapphire, you're not alone." The voice sounded surprisingly like her mother's. "There is someone who does care about you, and you know them better than you might think."

With her mother's words echoing through her mind, Sapphire blinked several times against the bright sunlight.

"Rustfur? Is that you?"

When her eyes became accustomed to the light, Sapphire saw Rustfur seated at her head. "Sapphire, you're okay." he sighed, his voice weak with relief.

"Ugh. What happened? Wait, where's Dusk!?"

"Apparently, you killed him."

"What?"

"Take a look." Rustfur offered.

With a good amount of effort, Sapphire stood up and turned around. Staring open-mouthed at the large hole in the ground, she turned to Rustfur and asked, "Did I do _that_?"

"You mean you don't know if you did that?"

"Not really. I was only worried about protecting you." she said shyly.

Rustfur smiled, remembering when he had said the same thing to her. "Thank you." he replied softly. "So," Rustfur turned to the tree that Sapphire had pushed into the clearing. "What were you doing with this tree anyway?"

"Training."

"Training?"

"Yes. After my father died, I promised myself that I would become stronger."

"If you don't mind me asking, why?"

"So if I ever met someone that I cared deeply for, I could protect them with all of my strength."

Rustfur felt something deep inside him twinge. Did what she had just said mean that... His thoughts were interrupted when Sapphire continued to speak.

"Rustfur, you're the first, other than my parents, that has shown kindness to me." she said warmly, drawing up against him. "You've saved my life twice. You care about me. No one has ever cared about me. I've always been untrusting of everyone I've met. That is, before I met you."

What she said next took him completely by surprise, even though he had wanted to hear it ever since he had met her.

"Rustfur, I love you."

Rustfur now knew what his father had meant when he had said "different kind of love." He was relieved; now that he knew how Sapphire felt towards him, it would be much easier to tell her his feelings.

Staring into the deep cerulean eyes that perfectly matched her name, he said quietly,

"I love you too."

Sapphire placed her head on Rustfur's shoulder. Tilting his head slightly, Rustfur laid his head lightly on Sapphire's own. Sapphire now understood what her mother had told her in her dream. _Thank you, Mom. You were right, there is someone who loves me. Thank you for telling me. Life will be much easier with Rustfur by my side._ Sapphire silently thanked her mother for telling her how Rustfur felt towards her. Then, closing her ocean-hued eyes, she snuggled up against him, enjoying the warmth and the soft, fluffy feel of his brown fur.

For what seemed like an eternity to them, they remained still and reveled in their newfound feelings for each other. This was only disturbed by a slight sniff from Sapphire.

"What's wrong?" asked Rustfur, in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine." Sapphire reassured him, ears straight up, as she listened intently to whatever she had scented. "Something's out there." she finally said.

Rustfur didn't doubt her for a second; she could probably hear the wingbeat of a Fearow, half a mile away on a misty day. "Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"No." Sapphire answered quietly, still focusing her keen hearing on finding out what was approaching them. She sniffed the breeze once more and then responded, "It smells familiar though."

Rustfur sniffed the air as well, but his sense of smell wasn't as acute as Sapphire's was, so he couldn't smell a thing.

"Let's get up against the log." Rustfur suggested.

Sapphire nodded and followed him to what used to be the top of the tree. As Rustfur cautiously poked his head around the end of the tremendous log, a gust of wind came whistling through the trees and hit him directly in the face, ruffling his fur. This strong breeze also carried a familiar scent. The sight of two Pokemon stepping out of the foliage confirmed the smell.

"Mom! Dad!"

Rustfur jumped out from behind the fallen tree and sped towards his approaching parents.

Seeing their son coming towards them, they broke into a run, calling out his name.

"Rustfur!"

Knowing now that there was no threat, Sapphire stepped out from behind the tree and padded after Rustfur.

Leafpool was the first to reach her son. "Where've you been? When we woke up this morning and couldn't find you, we thought Dusk might have taken you." As she reprimanded him, she also placed lick after lick on the top of his small head.

"Actually, Mom, Dusk won't be bothering anyone anymore."

"Why?" asked Fireheart, stepping up behind his mate.

"He's dead." Rustfur answered bluntly.

"Dead? How?" his parents asked in unison, eyes wide at this hard-to-believe statement.

"I killed him."

Rustfur had no need to turn around to see who was speaking. He knew the familiar tone of Sapphire's voice like he knew the back of his paw.

"You did?" Leafpool said in astonishment, staring wide-eyed at the small blue-eyed Eevee.

Sapphire nodded and replied, "Yes, I did. When I saw Dusk knock Rustfur unconscious, I guess my quick temper got the better of me and I sort of lost it."

"Thank you, Sapphire." Fireheart said solemnly, dipping his head to her.

"Y-you're welcome." she stammered, blushing slightly at having Rustfur's father personally thank her. She felt slightly awkward, until Rustfur tapped her shoulder with his tail. Looking over at him, she rested her head on his left shoulder. As she stared deeply into his soft hazel eyes, all of her cares and worries disappeared.

"Rustfur?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his mother called his name. Leafpool chuckled to herself. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was only going to ask you if you were hungry."

With all the excitement in the past couple days, Rustfur had forgotten that he hadn't eaten at all during that period.

"You're right. I am hungry." he said, stomach gurgling slightly.

"Good. Let's go and find some lunch, then." Fireheart suggested.

"Lunch?" Rustfur echoed.

"Yes, lunch. If you look down you'll notice that you have almost no shadow. It's almost noon." His mother explained. Saying this, she turned and began walking towards the forest. She signaled for Rustfur to follow her with a swish of her tail.

Rustfur set off after his mother, with Sapphire at his side. They ducked into the undergrowth where Leafpool had disappeared, their tail-tips slightly twined together.

Coming back into the clearing where they had woken up, Rustfur noticed Needlefur and Torrentpaw padding out of the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing, carrying something.

Nearing them, the Jolteon and her mate set their mouthfuls on the ground and called out to their son.

"Good, I see you found Rustfur."

"We've got some food for you."

Rustfur and Sapphire increased their pace to meet Needlefur. Reaching her, they noticed there weren't many berries. The other item was a medium-sized, shiny red piece of fruit Rustfur hadn't see before. He turned to Sapphire and asked, "What is that?"

"It's an apple."

Rustfur was about to start eating when he saw Sapphire bending down to eat the berries. "Here, Sapphire, eat this." he offered, nosing the apple towards her.

"No, you take it." she gently refused, pushing it back with her paw.

"You need it more than I do. You haven't eaten in two days either, and you've fought Softpaw _and_ Dusk. Take it. It's okay." he insisted, pushing the apple back to her.

"Fine, if you insist." she answered, a touch of laughter in her response. "Then you at least eat the berries." she added softly, nudging the four Pecha berries over to him.

Rustfur nodded and bent down to eat the small pink berries. As he took a bite of one and chewed, relishing it's sweet taste, he glanced at Sapphire and suppressed a giggle; she'd just taken a bite of the juicy apple and had several drops of the juice running down her chin. His whole body shook as he desperately tried to prevent from spewing his mouthful of berry everywhere.

"Mmmff!"

Sapphire looked over at Rustfur and asked, "What's wrong?"

It took him a little bit to stop laughing enough so that he could swallow his mouthful and be able to answer. When he finally did, he said, still giggling slightly, "You-you've got something on your face." He could no longer conceal his mirth and he finally gave way to peals of laughter.

"Hahahahaha! Heeheehee!"

"What's so funny?" demanded Sapphire.

Rustfur was still giggling uncontrollably and he could only say two words, "Y-your face!"

Sapphire brushed a paw over her face to see what he was talking about, and it came away sticky. She still didn't see what he was laughing at, so she turned to a small puddle that was next to her. Suddenly she knew the cause of Rustfur's laughter. Gazing into the water's reflective surface, she noticed that the fur on her chin was sticking out at odd angles.

"I guess I was eating a little too quickly." she said sheepishly. However, Rustfur's laughter was extremely contagious, and soon she was giggling along with him.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." apologized Rustfur, his giggles finally subsiding enough for him to speak.

"It's all right." Sapphire said, breathless from all her laughing. "I needed a good laugh."

Rustfur stood up and stepped toward her. "Let me help you."

She sat still, eyes closed and smiling peacefully as Rustfur drew his soft tongue over the sticky patch of fur on her chin, effectively cleaning it. Normally, she would have blushed hotly at his touch, but she was now much more comfortable around him than she used to be. When he withdrew his tongue from her face she leaned forward and brushed against his cheek with her own, saying softly, "Thank you." Rustfur responded by gently placing a loving lick just under her nicked ear.

"We need to get moving again. We don't know how long Eric will be gone, and all this business with Dusk has hung us up quite a bit.

Rustfur overheard Needlefur and Torrentpaw speaking with his parents. He'd entirely forgotten the whole reason he and his family were in the forest.

Sapphire was confused. "Where were you and your family headed?" she asked, glancing at Rustfur.

"We came into the forest in pursuit of Team Galactic." he answered, his eyes becoming cold as he recalled how they had nearly killed his mother.

"You didn't tell me that." Sapphire replied.

"I completely forgot about it the night I met you." he answered sweetly, his eyes softening as he looked at the smiling azure-eyed Eevee pressed up against his side.

"Do you mind if I tag along with you and your family?" she asked quietly. "I've got a score to settle with Team Galactic as well."

"Sapphire, you don't need to ask. You're part of the family now. You can go anywhere we do." Rustfur answered warmly.

"Thank you. You don't know what it means to me to hear that." she said happily, nuzzling Rustfur's cheek.

The soft noise of paws padding across the dry earth caused Sapphire to look up, over her shoulder. Rustfur followed her gaze, spotting his parents coming towards him. His father called out to him, asking, "Did you get enough to eat?"

Rustfur nodded and answered, "Yep." He then looked at Sapphire and asked softly, "Did you get enough?"

"Mmmhmm." she responded, smiling contentedly.

"If you're both full, then let's go meet up with everyone else." Leafpool suggested.

"All right." Rustfur said, standing up. Sapphire stood up as well, padding right alongside him. Merely being in his presence gave her a satisfying sense of safety, but there was something in the back of her mind that made her feel slightly uneasy.

Unfortunately, she had no clue what it was.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

This chapter holds _the _number one spot for my favorite chapters in_ ASSIS_. Expect  
romance to be present throughout the entirety of _ASSIS. _

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	14. Chapter 13: Let the Rain Fall

Rustfur stood lightly on his feet, senses alert, prepared to dodge the imminent attack. However, he had no idea which direction it would be launched from.

It had been a little over one day since Rustfur and his family had escaped from Dusk and his minions, with a new friend and family member. Rustfur gave a shout of surprise as he was knocked clean off his feet by a heavy impact.

As he tumbled head over tail with his attacker still on top of him, he heard a voice call out to him,

"Extend your paws now and try to throw me!"

Rustfur attempted to perform the move, but couldn't throw the weight of his assaulter off him. He came skidding to a stop on his back, his adversary effortlessly pinning him down with one paw. Looking up, he saw Sapphire standing over him. He squirmed in an effort to free himself, but soon gave up.

"I give! I give! I'm done. You win."

Sapphire removed her paw from Rustfur's chest allowing him to sit up. Shaking his head to stop it swimming, he sat up slowly. It always amazed him how much strength Sapphire had in her legs. She had prevented him from rising with just one paw, and she was smaller than him, though not by much.

"Wanna keep going?" she asked, a touch of a laugh in her voice.

"No, no, I know when I'm beat." he replied, slightly winded from the effort.

"Okay, just remember, when you're going to throw someone like that, you've got to roll backwards and extend your paws almost at the same time, and the quicker the better."

"How do you know all this?" Rustfur asked, amazed.

"My father taught me." she answered solemnly.

"Oh..." he said quietly, not wanting to push the sensitive subject further.

There was an awkward silence following Rustfur's comment. He began nervously licking his tail to hide his embarrassment. He was so occupied with this, he didn't notice Sapphire until she brushed up against him.

"Rustfur, it's okay. You don't have to be shy about that subject around me."

"Okay, I understand." he murmured compassionately.

"Well, how did the first day of training go?"

Recognizing the voice, Rustfur turned and saw his mother coming towards him.

"I've still got a lot to learn before I'm half as skilled as Sapphire." he said, smiling at her and standing up stiffly.

"Are you okay?" Leafpool's voice was suddenly filled with concern. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Hearing the note of anxiety in her voice, Sapphire became a little uneasy. Her ears came down and she began nervously kneading the ground with her forepaws, staring at the space between them.

Rustfur noticed his and quickly came to her defense. "Mom! Sapphire would _never_ hurt me! I'm fine!"

His mother was slightly surprised at the level of his voice; Rustfur was normally calm and even-tempered. But when she saw how Sapphire smiled at him and nuzzled up against his side, Leafpool knew why he had said what he did, and the tone he had said it in.

"I'm sorry Sapphire. I didn't mean anything against you."

The young Eevee looked towards Leafpool and answered, "I understand. You're his mother and it's natural for you to worry about him." As she finished speaking, Sapphire looked back to Rustfur and lightly brushed his cheek with her nosetip.

"What I actually came over to tell you was that Fireheart is back and there are berries waiting for you both, if you're hungry."

"I could do with something to eat." Sapphire responded. "What about you?" she finished, glancing at Rustfur.

"That sounds good." he answered, stretching slightly to loosen his sore muscles.

Sapphire stood up and followed Rustfur, who began padding after his mother. A short distance later they came to a small, grassy copse encircled by trees. Off to one side, in the shade of a tree, Ravenpaw was curled up, sleeping soundly. He was asleep because he had acted as lookout through the night. Glancing around, Rustfur caught sight of his father just across the clearing.

Rustfur started towards him, calling out as he went. "Hey, Dad, what's for breakfast?"

Fireheart smiled and answered, "Your favorite."

Hearing his good news, Rustfur increased his pace with Sapphire matching his faster stride. They quickly reached the small pile of berries sitting in front of the smiling Flareon.

"There's some for you as well, Sapphire." Fireheart added in a fatherly tone.

Sapphire couldn't help but return Fireheart's kindly smile. Since she had joined up with Rustfur's family, his parents had treated her like one of their own children. Maybe they had sensed that she was an orphan. She didn't question it much; she felt happy, and that was all that mattered. "Thank you." she responded politely, crouching down to take a bite of the soft pink berry.

Rustfur respectfully stood to one side and patiently waited for Sapphire to eat her fill. When she finished, she stood back up licking her lips. "All right, your turn, Rustfur."

He nodded and stepped forward to eat his share. As he chewed his first bite, he was startled when a warm, soft body brushed against him. Hastily swallowing his mouthful, he looked to his left and saw Sapphire sitting next to him.

"Thank you, but you don't have to treat me any different now that we love each other. Treat me like you would treat your best friend." she whispered into his ear.

"But you are my best friend," he answered. "besides, I'm only acting how my father does. But if you insist on me just being myself, then I will." he added softly.

"Rustfur..." Sapphire began quietly, "Sometimes you remind me so much of my father. That's just one of the things that I love about you."

Rustfur felt his hear swell with pride at Sapphire's compliment. She truly loved him; there was no denying it, he had a friend for life. He felt the same way towards her, and everything felt absolutely perfect. He gently rested his chin between Sapphire's ears and took in her warn, comforting scent and the soft touch of her brown coat. He lightly felt her tongue brush over his cream-colored neckfur in a loving gesture. Then in a voice barely above a whisper she asked, "Did you get enough to eat?"

Her question brought him back to reality. Then he realized he had only taken one bite. "Now that you mention it, I am still hungry." he answered, still light-headed with happiness.

"Go on then, finish eating. I'll wait." she said, smiling.

"Thank you." He nodded and bent down to resume eating. He was halfway through his second berry when he noticed Sapphire turn around. Still chewing, he turned around as well as spotted his mother padding towards him.

"Did you two get enough to eat?" she inquired.

Sapphire nodded politely in response. Rustfur spoke up, through a mouthful of sweet Pecha berry, "Mmmf. Not quite yet. I've still got one more berry to finish." Swallowing what he had in his mouth, he turned again and bit off another mouthful. Both Sapphire and Leafpool sat watching him finish off the pink berries. When he sat back up, having finished his meal, he, once again, had sticky berry juice on his face, although only in a small spot on his cheek. Before Leafpool could do or say anything, Sapphire stepped forward.

"It's not as bad this time, but it still looks like you've got half of your last berry on your face." she said, a hint of laughter clearly evident in her voice as she brought her muzzle up to clean the stickiness from his fur. "There, that's better. You've got to learn to slow down when you eat." she added her azure eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Fine." Rustfur snorted good-naturedly, pressing himself against her side.

Leafpool silently watched her son pressed up against the one he cared for so much. Rustfur hadn't yet told her or Fireheart that he loved Sapphire; but it wasn't hard to see that he did. She had often noticed the way his eyes shone when he was around the young, blue-eyed Eevee. A yawn from behind caught Leafpool's attention and also that of the two Eevees. Across the clearing, Ravenpaw had woken up. He was in the process of stretching when Rustfur reached him; Sapphire closely following him. Sniffing the air, Ravenpaw greeted them. "I don't suppose you two saved any food for me?" he joked, raising a hind leg to scratch behind his coal-black ear.

"Sorry, no. We didn't." Rustfur said, a little sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll find something while we walk." Ravenpaw reassured him. "By the way, has my mom said anything about when we're breaking camp?"

"Not yet, but I'm guessing it'll be soon, because all of us are awake now."

Ravenpaw knew who it was before he even turned around. As he did so, he saw Fireheart coming towards him.

"Swiftclaw and Frostpelt are already up?" Rustfur asked.

As if summoned by his words, the two Pokemon pushed their way into the clearing.

"Yes, we're both awake." Swiftclaw replied followed up by Frostpelt's quip, "Because we didn't have to keep watch last night."

Ravenpaw gave a low but friendly growl. "Don't forget, you two get to keep watch tonight."

"Yeah, you're right." Swiftclaw responded.

Sapphire thought she could hear a hint of resignation in the Espeon's voice, and so she offered, "If you don't want to keep watch tonight, I will for you."

"That's all right." Frostpelt answered. "You might be a little too young."

"What?"

Rustfur could sense Sapphire's quick temper brewing and before it could completely surface, he quickly cut in. "I don't see why she couldn't; she _did_ beat Dusk, twice actually."

"Good point." Swiftclaw agreed. "I guess you could try tomorrow night. Rustfur, you can too, if it's okay with your parents."

"Of course." they said in unison.

"Good, Ravenpaw, you're up."

Hearing his name, the Umbreon looked away from his Espeon and Glaceon brothers to see his parents approaching, side by side. He called out to them, "I take it we're leaving now?"

Torrentpaw merely nodded in response. As he and his Jolteon mate padded across the grassy clearing, the other Pokemon fell in behind them. Heading into the forest, Rustfur noticed several puffy clouds bunching up over the horizon. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he turned and trotted after Sapphire.

As the shadows in the forest lengthened, the clouds Rustfur had noticed had become significantly darker and there was a heavy feeling upon the cool breeze that rippled through the trees. His ear twitched at a low rumble in the distance. Suddenly a small, wet object smacked him in the eye.

"Ouch..."

"What's the matter?" Sapphire asked, looking at him.

"Something hit me in the eye."

"It was probably a raindrop." she commented. "There's a storm coming."

"How can you tell?" he asked, blinking repeatedly to get the offending water drop out of his eye.

"The air is stiller than usual." she answered matter-of-factly.

Rustfur paused to figure out how she could tell the difference in the air when another fat raindrop hit him square in the face, followed by another, and another, until it was coming down in sheets. A brilliant flash startled him slightly; but the resultant thunderclap almost caused him to jump out of his fur.

"What was that?"

"Thunder and lightning." Sapphire said calmly, not at all bothered by the loud noise.

Fireheart irritably shook himself, scattering droplets everywhere. "Let's find some shelter before I'm soaked through to the bone." he muttered, flicking his ears uncomfortably.

"You're right." agreed Ravenpaw.

"Look! Just up ahead!"

The eight other Pokemon hurried under the low overhanging branch that Needlefur had indicated. The tightly woven ceiling of branches and leaves provided an excellent shelter against the watery deluge. Fireheart rasped his tongue over his orange and yellow pelt to remove the excess water from it, as there was no room to shake it off in the small space. Soon it was completely dry and back to its original fluffy state. He called Rustfur over to him so he could keep him warm and comfortable.

Rustfur got up from where he and Sapphire were drying themselves off, and walked over to his father. He pressed himself into his father's red-orange fur and felt his body warmth seep into his still-damp fur.

"Sapphire, come on over." Rustfur invited, indicating that she could take his place. She stood up and stepped to Fireheart's side, sitting down where Rustfur had sat briefly before. As she brushed against Rustfur's father, she was surprised at how warm it was. A soft feeling caused her to look to her right; Rustfur was sitting next to her, staring out into the dark, rain-drenched forest. She didn't know whether it was the comforting warmth from Fireheart's fur or the rhythmic patter of the rain on the forest floor; but suddenly she felt drowsy. Her cobalt eyes slowly closed and her head dipped. Rustfur, by chance, looked down at Sapphire. She was sound asleep, breathing softly. A warm smile appeared on his face; Sapphire looked so peaceful curled up beside him. He couldn't imagine his life without her by his side.

"I'm proud of you."

Rustfur looked up and saw his father looking back at him, a smile on his face as well. "For what?" he asked, unsure of what his father meant.

"I can see you're very fond of her." Fireheart said understandingly. "You're growing up so fast." he added, a faraway look in his eyes.

Rustfur could feel himself blushing at his father's extremely kind words. However, when he looked down at Sapphire, his uneasiness melted away. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide in an enormous yawn; he must have been more tired than he thought. He curled up next to Sapphire, and as the veil of sleep slowly covered him, he was vaguely aware of his father gently licking his ear. Then, finally, he drifted into sleep.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

No intense beatdowns this time; it certainly seems like the group needs to relax after  
the events of chapters 8 and 11.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	15. Chapter 14: Unconditional Love

Rustfur grunted and rolled over in his sleep. When he didn't feel anything next to him, his brown eyes flew open and he sprang to his paws, immediately looking to the spot where Sapphire had been when he had fallen asleep. "Sapphire!" he shouted anxiously. Then, remembering the last time he had woken and she hadn't been there, he calmed down a little. When he took the time to look around, he was shocked. The small space he and his family had slept in was completely deserted! Even Swiftclaw and Frostpelt, who were on watch, last night, were gone. _They must have left._ Rustfur thought sadly, realizing that either Swiftclaw or Frostpelt would have woken everyone if there was any danger.

"Rustfur?"

He whirled around, every hair on his coat standing up. He took a step backwards when the bushes in front of him began to rustle.

"W-who's there?" he asked, his voice shaking.

The rustling in the bushes intensified, and shortly thereafter an Espeon and an Umbreon stepped out. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you."

Rustfur looked at the Umbreon, who had just spoken; judging from its soft voice, he guessed it was female. His eyes grew wider as he stared at the pair of Pokemon standing before him. "A-are you Sapphire's parents?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, we are." the Espeon answered in a gentle tone.

"Why are you here? Sapphire told me you were...dead."

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean we can't appear in dreams." Sapphire's mother explained. "We're here to show you something." her father added. "Come with us." He beckoned Rustfur with a flick of his pronged tail.

_Okay, so if this is a dream, that means my family didn't leave me behind._ Rustfur silently reassured himself. _But what are they going to show me?_

Rustfur reluctantly followed Sapphire's parents into the bushes swathed with early morning mist. He shivered when the cold wet leaves brushed against his fur. Just on the other side of the bushes there was a large clearing with a rather good-sized lake in the middle of it. He looked towards Sapphire's father to ask why he was here, but the Espeon's back was turned.

"Go and have a look in the lake."

Rustfur jumped with surprise. He hadn't noticed Sapphire's mother come up beside him. "What?" The sudden appearance of the Umbreon beside him had startled him, so he hadn't heard her.

"Go look in the lake." she urged.

Still unsure, Rustfur padded to the edge of the crystal clear and perfectly still body of water. Gazing into the clear waters, he almost jumped when he saw a jet-black head appear over his shoulder. Slowly, an image appeared on the glassy surface of the lake. At first Rustfur couldn't make it out; it was too blurry, but gradually it came into focus. As it did so, he saw two brown ears and a head. An eerie, unnamed feeling tugged at every hair on his pelt. He quickly looked at Sapphire's mother and saw something like pride in her red eyes. Looking back at the image, he saw it had come into focus. It was an unconscious Eevee, against what looked like a cage wall. The feeling tugged at his fur even more. Then without a warning, the Eevee's eyes snapped open. This Eevee was Sapphire! "Why are you showing me this?" he asked, turning to face Sapphire's mother.

"You don't remember this?"

"Remember?" Rustfur echoed, facing Sapphire's father, who had come up to stand by his mate. "I thought that the first time I had seen Sapphire was in the cage."

"Actually, it was."

"Really?" Rustfur asked, slightly confused.

"Yes." Sapphire mother added. "You dreamt of that moment when you would meet the night you were born."

"That's a dream?" Rustfur turned back to the image on the lake, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yes; because both you and Sapphire were born during the radiation of a blue moon, you were both affected."

"I was affected? How?" Rustfur was caught off guard by this news.

"The radiation gave you the ability to randomly see things that have not yet come to pass. It also gave you a close bond with Sapphire." the Umbreon explained. "Your body, however, doesn't contain the radiation like Sapphire's does.

"What does that mean?" Rustfur wondered.

"It means that she will be affected by a blue moon."

This news gripped Rustfur like a pair of icy claws. "But...but shouldn't the radiation give her an immunity to the blue moon?"

"Normally, yes." Sapphire's father answered. "But because the radiation is in her body, her cellular makeup is extremely similar to that of an Umbreon's. Unfortunately, the amount of radiation currently in her body isn't enough to protect her from the blue moon." he finished sadly.

Rustfur was a little unnerved by this news, but wasn't terribly worried, because he knew how rare blue moons were; he and Sapphire would probably never see another one. "Does the dream that I had mean anything?"

"Yes. It means that you and Sapphire were destined to be with each other." Sapphire's mother said warmly.

This statement hit Rustfur like a heavy weight. He loved Sapphire and would gladly give up his own life for her, but he had had no idea that she was who he was _destined_ to be with. He swayed slightly when he heard this. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he asked Sapphire's mother, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. You've seen how Sapphire cares for you. You were meant to meet each other in that cage. _You_ were the one that saw past her quick temper and untrusting disposition and saw how gentle she could be. You were meant to be with each other." she answered, speaking to Rustfur as if she were his own mother.

Rustfur was staring at the ground between his paws, embarrassed by these words. Then, looking up, he asked with a touch of amusement in his voice, "If I'm destined to be with Sapphire, then may I know the names of her parents?"

Sapphire's father smiled slightly. "Of course, Rustfur. You know, you reminds me of myself when I was younger."

Rustfur shivered slightly; Sapphire had also told him that he reminded her of her father. Hearing the same thing from her father gave him an unusual sensation deep inside him. Rustfur was still thinking about what the Espeon had said and almost didn't hear him when he said, "My name is Gemini."

Rustfur nodded and looked towards the Umbreon. "And you?"

"Luna." she responded, her crimson eyes gleaming.

"Thank you." Rustfur said, dipping his head politely.

"You're welcome." Luna replied. "Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

"Tell Sapphire that we will always love her, no matter what separates us."

Rustfur felt a stab of sympathy; that was exactly how his own mother would feel. Sapphire would never know what it felt like. The thought almost brought tears to his eyes. "I will." he answered, silently vowing to himself to always make sure Sapphire felt loved, no matter what.

"Thank you." Sapphire's parents said as one. The mist began to thicken around them, blocking them off from Rustfur's sight. Slowly, the gray swirling mist blanketed the entire clearing.

From out of the thick mist Rustfur heard Luna's soft voice, "Take good care of Sapphire."

The next thing he heard was, "Come on sleepyhead, wake up, or we're going on without you." A paw poked him in his side, further attempting to rouse him.

"Mmmf." He grunted and opened his eyes, seeing Sapphire standing over him, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Are we really leaving already?" he asked, stretching his mouth wide in a large yawn.

"Not quite yet, but we will be soon. So if you want me to teach you anything today, you'll have to get up." She cuffed him lightly on the ear, playfully adding, "Now."

Rustfur stood up and stretched, his muscles shaking as he did so. "All right then," he responded, nudging Sapphire gently, "lead the way."

Her azure eyes shining, Sapphire turned and pushed her way through some bushes at the back of the small area they had sheltered in during the night. Pushing aside a branch with his nose, Rustfur blinked several times to make sure what he saw was real; a lake sat right in the middle of a large clearing, just like in his dream.

"How did you know about this clearing?" Rustfur asked Sapphire, stepping up to the lakeshore beside her.

"I saw it in a dream last night." she responded, looking into the shallow, glassy waters.

"A dream?" Rustfur echoed. Silently he thought to himself, _Did I somehow send part of my dream to Sapphire? _Rustfur recalled Sapphire's mother saying that he had a close bond with her daughter. Maybe it was some sort of psychic link. If it was, why had he never noticed it before? He kept turning the thought over in his mind as he stared at the mirror-like water. Suddenly, the image of an Espeon and Leafeon standing side by side appeared on the water. Rustfur cast a quick glance over his shoulder, but there was no one beside the lake except himself and Sapphire. He looked back at the lake, but all he saw was his own reflection.

"What's up?"

Rustfur looked over at Sapphire at the sound of her voice.

"What's up?" she repeated. "Are you okay?"

Apparently, Sapphire hadn't seen the reflection. Either that, or she had noticed it and hadn't said anything. "Yeah, I'm fine." he finally answered.

"Then are you ready to practice now?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Okay, you go stand over there." she instructed, gesturing with her tail.

Rustfur nodded and padded in the direction Sapphire had indicated. "That's far enough." he heard her call. He turned around and faced Sapphire. Slowly she began running towards him, steadily building up speed.

Suddenly, Rustfur wasn't focused on training anymore. All he saw was the Eevee running towards him. There was something different about her that he was was seeing. He loved her for her playful yet gentle way she acted towards him. However, he had not yet noticed how startlingly beautiful she was. When he looked at her deep cerulean eyes and the way her muscles rippled smoothly under her soft brown coat when she ran, he felt like he was looking at a completely different Pokemon.

While Sapphire was running towards him, something stirred in some part of her mind. Distracted by this for a split-second, she tripped and cannoned into Rustfur with a squeak of surprise. The collision swiftly brought him back to reality. They both went down in a hurry, skidding a short distance on the thin grass. Sapphire was the first to sit up. Slowly, she got up and padded to Rustfur, limping slightly, because she had mildly twisted her forepaw in the fall. By the time she reached him, he had sat up, shaking his head.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning his soft brown gaze towards her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she answered. "But I should ask you that. What were you staring at?"

Without really thinking, he blurted out, "I was looking at you." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he should have said something else.

"Me? Why?" Sapphire hadn't expected that as an answer.

"I...I was thinking about something." he blustered.

"About what?"

"About how beautiful you are." he said shyly.

For the second time in her life, Sapphire felt herself blushing hotly. " You think I'm beautiful?"

"Of course I do." Rustfur assured her, sitting down next to her. "You're the most beautiful Eevee I've seen."

"I'm the _only_ Eevee you've seen." she reminded him, nudging him gently.

"That doesn't matter." he said calmly. "We were meant to be with each other."

"How do you know?" she asked, her eyes wide.

As Rustfur explained the dream he had last night, Sapphire remained silent and listened intently. When he reached the part about the dream he had the night he was born, he led Sapphire to the edge of the lake and they both gazed into the crystal clear waters.

"Wow," Sapphire murmured, almost inaudibly. "two weeks ago, I never would have thought I was destined to be with anyone." Looking towards Rustfur, she added, "But now, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be with."

"Neither can I." Rustfur whispered, lightly licking her scarred ear. "I love you."

"I love you too." she answered sweetly, edging closer to him until their pelts brushed together. After a short time, Rustfur asked her, "Do you want to keep practicing?"

Sapphire lightly pressed her forepaw to the ground, wincing slightly as she did so. "I must have twisted my foot harder than I thought." Looking down, she noticed a small amount of blood oozing out of the two-day old scratch on her sprained paw. "Great, it's opened up again." she muttered, holding her paw off the ground slightly.

"Let me see." Rustfur offered.

Sapphire lifted her paw up a little more, so Rustfur could look at it. As gently as he could, Rustfur drew his tongue over her paw, ignoring the sharp taste of blood.

"There, it isn't too bad. It only opened up a little." Rustfur said, straightening up.

"Thanks." she responded, gently brushing her muzzle against Rustfur's cheek.

"You're welcome." Rustfur replied. "Let's head back and see if anyone else is awake. If you think you can put your weight on it, that is."

Sapphire grinned mischievously, laughter glimmering in her ocean-blue eyes. "Watch me." she laughed, padding off towards the woods at a speed that suggested that her paw was perfectly fine. Rustfur shook his head in amazement and broke into a swift trot to catch up with her. He quickly reached her side, as she had stopped and was sniffing around a low bush.

"What's up? he asked, stepping up behind her.

"Those." she answered, gesturing upwards with her tail. "Those are your favorite, aren't they?"

Rustfur looked up and saw the unmistakable pink hue of his favorite berry. His stomach growled at the sight of them, reminding him how hungry he was. "How do we get them down?" he wondered, swiping his tongue around his mouth, imagining the sweet taste flooding his mouth.

Sapphire looked around quickly and spotted a branch hanging at eye level. "Like this." she said, grabbing the branch in her teeth. Several berries fell to the ground as she gave a sharp downward tug. Both she and her companion applied themselves to the berries with good appetites.

"Guess what?" Rustfur said, finishing his meal.

"What?"

"I actually didn't get any on my face this time." Rustfur joked.

Sapphire suppressed a giggle and replied good-humoredly, "There's a first time for everything."

Rustfur smiled. "Thanks. Are you finished yet?"

Sapphire swallowed her mouthful and replied, "Yeah, we can head back now."

"Good. Let's each get a couple of berries to take back."

"Why?"

"Ravenpaw and Needlefur both like sweet berries." Rustfur explained." I don't think they'd object to something to eat."

"Oh, okay." Sapphire said, shaking down some more berries, then picking up two of them in her mouth. Rustfur did the same and began pushing his way through the bushes, back towards his family. He hadn't got far when he was knocked flat from behind. "Quick! Get down!"

"Sapphire! What's the matter?"

A golden beam of energy blazed over his head, answering his question. A huge spray of dirt showered the two Eevees as the beam struck the ground.

An instant later, Rustfur's family came skidding around of a bush, each one of them fully awake.

"What happened!?" Needlefur shouted.

A large blue head with three spikes on both sides of it forced its way between two trees. Its jaws parted to reveal two rows of savagely sharp teeth. A low, rumbling growl sliced between the needle-sharp teeth as the head stared menacingly at the nine Pokemon.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Every relationship has it; the dreaded meeting of the parents. Thankfully, Sapphire's  
parents seem nice enough. This chapter also has the biggest hint of both Rustfur's and  
Sapphire's eventual evolutions. I won't tell you what that hint is; I'll leave you to  
figure that out. I know I also fail at descriptions, so good luck telling who that blue  
spiked head belongs to. *shot*

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	16. Chapter 15: The Hunter Strikes

The trees framing the head splintered and fell, revealing a giant blue body with two red, half circle wings adorning it. On the back of this monstrous Pokemon stood a female Trainer, wearing a long charcoal-black overcoat and a metal gauntlet on one wrist. Her short hair was pure white.

"N-no..." Leafpool was wide-eyed with shock.

The mysterious human raised the hand that had the strange metal band on it.

"Avoid the beam that thing fires!" Leafpool called out. At that instant, the machine let loose a pale orange ray of light. Directly at Sapphire. Swiftclaw's reaction was even faster though; his eyes began to radiate a blue glow. An opaque barrier shot up in front of Sapphire, deflecting the beam.

"Fine. If you insist on acting like that, then I'll catch all of you. Cyrus only wanted the blue-eyed one, but the rest of you will fetch a good price."

When she spoke, her voice was cold and calculating.

"Salamence, Hyper Beam!"

Following her command, the dragon-like Pokemon opened its mouth wide and a sphere of gold energy formed. When he saw this, Frostpelt created his own orb of glowing yellow energy. A split-second after the beam left the tooth-filled mouth of the Salamence, Frostpelt let fly with his own. The two beams collided with each other, creating a tremendous explosion. As a slight breeze cleared the smoke away, Rustfur could see that the Salamence didn't appear tired in the least. Looking across at Frostpelt from his mother's side, he saw that the Glaceon was still standing, although it was taking an intense amount of effort.

"Well, I don't think I'll be doing another of those for a while." he laughed breathlessly.

"I can see I'll need more help to round up all of you." the sinister Trainer said, sending two Poke Balls spiraling into the air. Leafpool already knew what would emerge, but kept silent out of shock. The two red and white orbs opened and a burst of white light popped out of each one. One of them took the shape of a large violet scorpion; its head was set upon a long neck, and on either side of its head there was a long arm with a viciously sharp crescent shaped claw at the end. Its body was compact, with two short legs on each side. The other ball released an Ariados. "Round them up." the woman ordered, jumping onto the ground.

The trio of threatening Pokemon advanced at their Trainer's cue. Rustfur watched, trembling, with wide eyes. Something brushing against him caused him to jump. "Don't worry, stick with me and we'll be fine." Looking to his left, his eyes met Sapphire's soft azure gaze. The look in her liquid blue eyes told him that she would protect him in every way possible. A hiss told them the Ariados was about to attack. With surprising agility, the spider Pokemon leapt towards them. Even swifter was Leafpool's reaction; she darted in front of the two Eevees and swatted away the Ariados, her tail glowing a bright green.

"If you want to get to them, you'll have to get past me first." she challenged.

"Very well." the scorpion-like Pokemon answered, circling around the Ariados to approach Leafpool from her left. It took but one step before it was knocked off balance by a wave of black energy. A quick look told Rustfur that Ravenpaw and Swiftclaw had engaged the Drapion, aided by their Flareon brother. Meanwhile, Frostpelt stared down the Salamence with his parents. Rearing its head back, the Salamence let out a mighty roar. It then snapped its head down towards Needlefur. Fortunately, she saw it coming and swiftly dodged the flashing teeth and retaliated with a brief burst of electricity. The dragon Pokemon recoiled and lashed out again.

The Ariados was now frantically trying to subdue the blue-eyed Eevee, but couldn't, as it was kept busy trying to fend off Rustfur and his mother. The fact that Sapphire was fighting back wasn't helping either. Not wanting to face Leafpool or Sapphire in direct combat, it swiftly spat out several sticky threads, aimed at the feet of the Leafeon and Eevee. Sapphire saw it coming and started to leap out of the way, but suddenly fell to the forest floor. She hadn't been fast enough and the threads had looped around her hind legs. Leafpool had been bound around all four paws and was on her side. They both struggled with their bonds as the Ariados turned its attention to Rustfur. As it neared him, Rustfur fired a Shadow Ball towards the spider-like Pokemon. It reacted quicker than he had expected, spitting out a dark sticky glob of poison. It met with the sphere and created a small explosion. Then, putting on a surprising burst of speed, the Ariados lunged at Rustfur, knocking him over.

Sapphire watched with wide eyes as the Ariados held Rustfur to the ground. "Let him go!" she cried out.

"Make me." the Ariados hissed. Turning towards Rustfur, it added, "You must be weak if she fights your battles for you."

"What!?" Rustfur's normally calm brown eyes lit up with anger. A surge of strength shot through his limbs and with a quick, powerful twist he threw the Ariados off him.

Reaching down, Sapphire took the silky strands in her teeth and bit through them, freeing her hind legs. She turned to Leafpool to help her up, but she refused, saying, "I'll handle these. Help Rustfur."

Sapphire nodded, realizing just how much Leafpool trusted her. She spun around and bolted towards the Ariados that was harassing Rustfur. His surprising burst of energy had given him the upper hand, but only briefly, as the Ariados possessed more skill in battle. The red and black Pokemon had Rustfur against the ground again.

"Did I anger you?" The Ariados laughed in Rustfur's face; it sounded like air escaping from a leak.

Rustfur was still furious, and it showed as he shouted defiantly at his aggressor. "Let me up and I'll show you how angry I really am!"

"Well, you've got a rather quick temper, don't you?"

Rustfur was about to respond, when the Ariados was batted heavily off him.

"If you think he has a quick temper, then you haven't seen mine after you threaten someone I care about!"

Rustfur scrambled up from his vulnerable position and shook himself as he strove to control his uncharacteristic outburst. "Thanks, that bug was working on my nerves."

"You're welcome." Sapphire said, pressing her nose to Rustfur's shoulder for a moment. "But we're not done yet." she added.

"I know." Rustfur answered, glaring hotly at the Ariados. "Come on, let's see if what you've taught me has sunk in yet." he finished, spinning around to face the approaching Ariados. Sapphire stood, bewildered, for a moment; she had never seen Rustfur like this. She couldn't have missed the flame of battle flickering in his eyes if she tried. She shook her head briskly and turned to confront the Ariados with Rustfur.

There was no more time for additional thought, as the Ariados leapt at them. As one, Rustfur and Sapphire fell backwards and shot their paws out, carrying the Ariados up and over them. Leafpool was on her feet now and was ready as the Ariados sailed towards her. She was done fooling around; she rotated viciously, catching it square in the midsection with a Leaf Blade slash.

The mysterious woman reluctantly summoned the battered Ariados back into its Poke Ball, with a flash of red light.

"Looks like you have taught me something after all." Rustfur said, casting a swift glance at Sapphire. "One down, two to go."

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Sapphire put in, blue eyes glowing with the light of battle.

They turned and began running to where Rustfur's father and two of his brothers sparred with the Drapion. As he ran, Rustfur conjured up a Shadow Ball and fired it off. No sooner than it had been thrown, Sapphire hammered it with a glowing, steel-hard tail, effectively doubling its velocity. The orb shot off, finding its mark in the Drapion's face.

The large scorpion-like Pokemon staggered slightly under the withering impact, but swiftly bounced back, snarling.

"It looks like all we did was tick him off." Rustfur snorted irritably.

"Then we'll have to try harder." Sapphire replied, through clenched teeth.

"Whatever you're going to do, be careful." Rustfur cautioned her. Sapphire acknowledged him with a slight sniff. Then, leaning forward, she burst toward the Drapion. She caught it a glancing blow on one of its four legs. It turned to snap at her, but in the blink of an eye, she had darted to its other side, and stood there, as if taunting it.

The Trainer had had enough of this impudent Eevee. "Drapion, Cross Poison!"

The purple Pokemon drew its arms across its front and each of its claws took on a strange violent glow. As this attack released, Sapphire easily leapt out of its way. A shout of pain sent a chill down her spine and spun her around. She hadn't noticed that Ravenpaw was right behind her. He hadn't been as quick, and had taken the full brunt of the attack.

Ravenpaw was sent skidding backwards a considerable distance from the intense attack. He shook his head, because his vision was becoming hazy. As he took a step forward, his paws became as heavy as lead and it felt like he was walking through stomach-high mud. He had barely taken two steps before he collapsed, breathing heavily.

"Ravenpaw!" Fireheart was at his brother's side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"Be-behind you..." Ravenpaw gasped, between heavy breaths.

Fireheart spun around and saw the Drapion bearing down on him. He sprang forward, snarling. "I have _had_ it! Every human we've seen out here has attacked us!" The whole time he was speaking, he had been advancing on the Drapion, one step at a time. "First my son, then my mate, and now my brother! I can't take it anymore!"

Rustfur flinched as a tidal wave of intense heat crashed over him. So hot was this burst of superheated air, it actually caused the Salamence to stop fighting. Sapphire blinked in amazement; the heat was coming from Rustfur's father.

Fireheart brought his head back and a swirling sphere of yellow and red flame appeared at his open mouth. Even the Drapion recoiled at this sight. Fireheart released the red-hot orb directly at the scorpion Pokemon. It burst on impact, sending another wave of heat pouring over Rustfur.

When the smoke from the resulting explosion dissipated, Rustfur saw that the Drapion had fallen. It appeared that Fireheart wasn't in a much better state; he was shaking badly, though whether it was because of his anger or the exhaustion brought on by the recoil of Overheat, Rustfur didn't know.

Torrentpaw had looked back when he heard Fireheart call out in alarm. "We can't let this drag on any longer." He turned to his mate, Needlefur, and added worriedly, "Something's wrong with Ravenpaw."

Needlefur nodded blankly, as if something else was on her mind. She almost didn't hear her mate when his spoke up.

"Needlefur, see if you can paralyze the Salamence. Frostpelt and I will handle it from there."

A bout of loud, painful coughing cut through Needlefur's mind, bringing her back to reality. She swung her head around in the direction where the coughing came from._ He's getting worse. _She thought anxiously._ Torrentpaw's right, we can't prolong this fight anymore._ She brought her attention back to the Salamence. Slowly her lips drew back in a snarl, her normally soft pelt bristled like hundreds of needles, and electricity began leaping across the length of her body. A moment later, she sent a bright blue bolt of electricity arcing into the Salamence. It roared with pain as the shock lanced through the whole of its body.

Frostpelt nodded to his father to begin the attack. A white ball formed at Torrentpaw's mouth and a frozen ray shot out. Frostpelt opened his mouth as well and exhaled mightily. His action summoned a gale-force gust of snow behind the previously fired Ice Beam. The Blizzard sped up the Ice Beam and provided an additional burst of frigidity. This combo slammed into the dragon Pokemon, causing it to roar in pain again.

Not surprisingly, the Salamence fainted under the super effective blast of icy energy. Like the Ariados and Drapion, it was called back into its Poke Ball, an expression of shock and pure anger on its Trainer's face. "This isn't the last you'll see of me." she promised, fixing Sapphire with an intense glare. Then she turned and swiftly strode into the woods.

All attention was turned to Ravenpaw, who was still lying on the ground, his sleek, jet-black sides heaving as he fought for breath. Everyone gathered around him, concern evidently stamped on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Rustfur asked, wide-eyed.

Swiftclaw bent down and lightly sniffed his brother's breath. He uttered but three words.

"He's been poisoned."

A low gasp rippled through the small group. Momentarily after, Ravenpaw coughed again, his body shaking terribly. Rustfur winced at the harsh rasping noise. For no real reason, he looked at Needlefur and Torrentpaw. What he saw shocked him; tears were clearly coursing down their faces. Rustfur guessed they were reliving that blue moon two years ago.

Torrentpaw gently eased his mate's head onto his shoulder with his finned tail. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine." he whispered, not sounding completely sure of himself.

"But we don't have anything to give to him!" Needlefur snapped. "We can't do _anything!_"

"Not without Pecha berries." Swiftclaw added grimly.

Rustfur turned his head and locked his gaze with Sapphire's. From the look in her eyes, Rustfur could tell she was thinking the same thing he was. Frantically, they both began looking around.

_We've got to find those berries,_ Rustfur thought. _or else Ravenpaw might..._ He swallowed visibly at the thought. _Die._

___________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Well, that calm period didn't last long, did it? Enjoy this action now, because  
_Shattered Truths _deals with more internal conflict than external.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	17. Chapter 16: Present and Past

"Rustfur, what are you doing?" sniffed Torrentpaw, as his grandson cast about with his nose to the ground.

"Looking for Pecha berries." he answered, not looking up.

"Pecha berries!?" Needlefur exclaimed, her pale violet-gray eyes flashing with hope. "Where?"

"While Sapphire and I were practicing this morning, she found a bush of Pecha berries and I suggested we bring some back for you and Ravenpaw." He hesitated before continuing. "But I can't find them now; I lost them when Sapphire knocked me down to save me from the Salamence's Hyper Beam."

_Brilliant. Just brilliant._ Sapphire muttered silently. _Because of me_, another _Umbreon could die._ She batted angrily at a small pile of leaves, scattering them.

"I've found one!"

Rustfur's excited cry grabbed her attention. She spun around, and sure enough, there was the pink berry in his mouth. An audible sigh could be heard from Needlefur and Torrentpaw. Rustfur lightly placed the berry in front of the Umbreon's muzzle. Weakly, Ravenpaw stretched out his head and took the berry in his mouth. He chewed slowly, and all seemed well. Then he began coughing again. It quickly intensified and was followed by a sharp gagging noise. His body started convulsing terribly and the hoarse coughing began to come in quick bursts, with short intervals separating them.

Needlefur's eyes opened wide with alarm. "He's choking!"

Rustfur was unable to watch. The berry that was supposed to cure Ravenpaw of poison was killing him!

Ravenpaw shuddered horribly, and with a powerful, rasping cough, spit up half of the chewed-up berry, then lay still.

"No!" both Needlefur and her mate shouted.

"It's okay." Swiftclaw assured them. "Look, some of the poison has come up. The half of the berry he did eat should be sufficient."

"Unnnh..." Ravenpaw moaned, his eyelids flickering open. Before he could say anything more, his parents were by his side, furiously licking his shivering black head. "I don't feel like myself. " he added weakly. "What happened?"

"We almost lost you again." Needlefur told him, her voice clearly shaking.

"How?"

"You were poisoned." Torrentpaw answered, eyes bright with fresh tears. "It was only because Rustfur and Sapphire had brought back Pecha berries for you to eat that you're okay."

"Where are they?" Ravenpaw asked, slowly pulling himself into a sitting position.

"Right here." Rustfur padded up to Ravenpaw, Sapphire reluctantly following him. She sat down a respectful distance from the Umbreon. Even so, she was able to smell the sharp, foul scent of the coughed-up poison.

Rustfur looked over his shoulder at Sapphire, his soft brown eyes questioning. "Why are you sitting over there? Come here." He offered, indicating she should sit next to him. She got up and slowly walked to his side.

"Thanks, Rustfur," Ravenpaw murmured, brushing his nose against Rustfur's own. "And thank you, Sapphire."

"Why are you thanking me? _I'm_ the reason you were attacked and almost died."

"But you saved Rustfur from the Salamence's Hyper Beam."

"How do you know?" Sapphire asked.

"Because the blast from the Hyper Beam woke all of us up, and we weren't that close. A Pokemon with that kind of power doesn't miss often." Ravenpaw explained.

"Who was that Pokemon's owner anyway?" Rustfur inquired, looking at Sapphire.

"I'm not sure." she responded, after a moment of thought.

"I do." Leafpool put in, stepping forward. "Her name is J."

"J?" Sapphire echoed the strange name.

"Yes. She is a Pokemon Hunter."

The beige fur on the back of Sapphire's neck stood up when Leafpool said this. The dream that Sapphire had several days before, when she had seen her parents, came back to her like a thunderbolt. _In the near future you will come across someone who is known as a Pokemon Hunter. If you're not careful, you will be caught._ Her mother's words rushed back. Sapphire shuddered as she realized just how easily she could have been captured. She swallowed before asking, "What do Pokemon Hunters do?"

A glint of anger flashed in Leafpool's golden eyes. "Pokemon Hunters are disgusting people. They travel around looking for Pokemon to capture and sell. Even if that Pokemon has a trainer, they'll take it anyway." The anger in her eyes was replaced by sadness as she continued. "I had hoped you never would have had to see one, Rustfur."

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because, I was unlucky enough to 'meet' J before today."

"What happened?" asked Rustfur.

A mingled look of pain and happiness filled Leafpool's eyes, and she began speaking.

"Sometime about three years ago, I was born. But, I wasn't the only one. My brother was also born that day, a few minutes before I was. We were born close enough together to be twins. However, we looked nothing like each other. Instead of a normal brown coat, his fur was an unusual, smoky gray color. Because of this, our parents named him Cinder. It fit perfectly. When we were born, a fallen leaf drifted into out den, and I started playing with it. That's how I got my name. Soon enough, my brother started playing with the leaf as well. About a month later, we got into a play fight. That was a day I won't ever forget; there wasn't a care in the world, as far as I was concerned. From then on, we always would play fight, and even though Cinder was bigger and stronger than I was, he was always gentle with me. He always seemed to be overflowing with energy. He also had a mischievous streak. I remember one time..."

Leafpool paused and a shimmer of laughter appeared in her eyes, before she lapsed back into her story.

" 'Come on, Leafpool.'

'I-I don't know if we should... Mom and Dad aren't awake yet.' I whispered back.

'Oh, come on. We'll find food and be back before they wake up. Besides, I'll watch out for my little sister.' he assured me, with a smile.

'Fine.' I conceded, nudging him gently.

Carefully, I followed Cinder out of out den, treading as silently as we could, not wanting to wake up our parents. When we were far enough away to speak normally, i turned to my brother and asked him, 'Do you know what we're even looking for?'

Before he answered, he raised his gray head and sniffed the air. 'This way.' He turned and padded into the bushes. I followed him closely, slightly unnerved at being away from our parents. 'Don't worry, we'll be fine.' he said over his shoulder. 'Here, come up here by me, if it'll make you feel any better.'

'Thanks.' We must have shared some kind of bond from being born so close together, because he always knew how I felt, even if I didn't say it.

We soon came across a tall tree. Cinder looked up and said triumphantly, 'Look! Up there!' I followed his gaze and saw there were several glossy red apples hanging from its branches.

'How do we get them down?'

'Like this.' Before I could say anything, he was off and running at the tree. He slammed into the trunk with a Tackle, causing the branches to rattle. No apples fell though. 'Let me try again.' he said, standing up.

Before he could do anything, the air was filled with a loud buzzing. The leaves rustled as a dozen angry Beedrill took flight. Cinder pushed me up against the tree and stood between me and the swarm of Beedrill. 'Whatever you do, stay behind me okay?'

Too scared to speak, I nodded and pressed up against the tree a little more. Cinder's gray fur stood up as he bravely bared his teeth at the Beedrill, even though he knew as well as I did that he had no chance against them.

Their needle-sharp stingers aimed directly at us, the Beedrills dove. Just before cinder lashed out at the lead one, a high pressure blast of water knocked it out of the air. A familiar voice rang out over the buzzing.

'The next one that moves so much as an inch towards them will _seriously_ regret it!'

'Mom!' Cinder and I turned and saw our mother step out of some bushes. The eleven remaining bee like Pokemon shifted their aggression towards our mother. As they did so, the rearmost one was zapped with a frigid beam, freezing it solid.

'Two down, ten to go.'

A look in the other direction told us out Glaceon father had arrived.

"Cinder, Leafpool, come here.'

Needing no further urging, we whirled and raced over to our Vaporeon mother. The Beedrill were about to attack us, but a jet of water aimed just over out ears scattered them. When we reached her, she protectively drew her tail around us, gathering us at her forepaws. She snarled fiercely at the swarm of Beedrill. 'Leave my son and daughter alone! Pick on someone your own size!'

Ignoring this, the insect-like Pokemon advanced menacingly.

'She's told you to stop twice now. Leave them alone.'

A blast of cold air hit the swarm, blowing them off to the side, into the forest. Cinder and I sighed as the buzzing died away.

'Glad that's over.' Cinder sighed, shaking as he exhaled.

'So am I.' out mother agreed. 'But why did it start in the first place?' she asked, looking down at us.

Cinder stared at the ground, guiltily shuffling his paws in the dirt. I hated seeing him like that, so I looked up at my mother and answered in my brother's defense. 'I know why. I told Cinder we should go find some breakfast. I guess when I tackled the tree, trying to get the apples down, I disturbed the Beedrill. I'm sorry.'

'It's okay, Leafpool. You're forgiven.' out mother said, smiling at our father.

After that frightening adventure, Cinder and I always stayed a little bit closer to our parents. A month later, however, that sense of security was torn from us.

One morning we woke up next to our mother, wondering where our father was.

'Where's Dad?' Cinder asked, yawning widely.

'He's out getting some breakfast.' she told him.

'Oh.' Cinder yawned again and blinked several times.

A terrible cry of pain slashed the still morning air.

'What was that?' I asked, eyes wide and fur fluffed out with fright.

'That sounded like Dad!' Cinder shouted, springing up and starting for the den entrance.

A sharp bark from our mother stopped him. 'Cinder! Stop!' She stood up and brushed past him. 'I'll go look. You stay with Leafpool.'

'But-'

'Stay here.' the tone of our mother's voice told him she wouldn't accept any argument.

Nodding reluctantly, he padded back and sat down next to me.

'I'll be right back.'

I sat quietly, shivering. Cinder pressed gently against me. 'It'll be fine.' he assured me comfortingly.

I wanted to believe him, but somehow I knew he was wrong. After a half hour had passed and our mother still hadn't returned, Cinder began to get uneasy. Finally, he stood up.

'Where are you going?' I called after him.

'Something's wrong. I'm going to look.'

'Cinder, Mom said to stay here.'

He stubbornly ignored my reminder and left our den.

'Cinder! Wait!' I sprang to my feet and followed him. 'If you're going, then so am I.'

'Leafpool, no. Stay here. Something's wrong, and if you come with me you might get hurt.' he warned me.

'I don't care. Like you said, something's wrong, and _our_ parents are stuck in the middle of it. I'm coming.'

Despite his concern, Cinder laughed. 'Heh, you're as stubborn as Mom is. Come on then.'

We had only walked a short distance before another cry rang out. It tore right through me. Looking at Cinder, I could tell he was thinking the same thing. One word escaped my mouth. 'Mom!' Cinder and I broke into a run, stopping only when he gripped me by my neckfur.

'Leafpool, hold up.'

An unearthly roar assailed our ears and forced us to the ground with its volume. Trembling, we inched along the ground until we were able to see through the bushes. What we saw turned our blood to ice. A huge bear-like Pokemon stood towering above our parents. Our father's normally ice-blue fur was stained red in several places from a wound running down his left side. He was breathing heavily and was holding his left leg off the ground.

'Stop! If you stop attacking us we'll leave!' our father said, attempting to reason with the enraged Ursaring. The only acknowledgement he received was an unintelligible roar.

The maddened bear Pokemon lashed out a massive paw tipped with viciously sharp claws. Our mother quickly nudged our father out of the way, but wasn't fast enough to avoid the claws herself. They scored down her right hind leg.

Without thinking, Cinder shouted in concern. 'Mom!'

'Cinder!?'

As they looked in our direction, the Ursaring took advantage of their lapse in attention and attacked again. A heavy paw shot out and batted our exhausted father to the ground. The Ursaring was about to attack again, but was discouraged by a defensive torrent of water.

'Dad!' Cinder called out, standing up.

'Cinder! Sit down!' I grabbed him by his tail and pulled him back down. It was too late; the Ursaring had already seen Cinder's gray pelt against the emerald-green background of the forest. It began lumbering towards us, eyes blank with rage.

'Cinder! Leafpool! Run!' our mother called frantically.

We would have, but fear kept us rooted where we stood.

'Get out of here! Now!' she shouted again, reluctant to leave her wounded mate's side.

'Go protect them.' our father said, his sides heaving with the effort of speaking.

'But-'

'Go'. he firmly told her. Then, staring deep into her eyes, he added in a voice barely above a whisper, 'When I fell in love with you and decided to take you as my mate, we promised each other that if we ever had kits, we would always protect them, whatever happened to us. Go.'

Our mother turned away, obviously knowing that, from the state of our father's injuries, he probably wouldn't hold out much longer. As she came racing to help us, there was a mix of tears and anger flashing in her eyes. She threw herself at the Ursaring, knocking it to the side.

'Get away from them!'

A Hydro Pump further unbalanced the bear Pokemon, but it righted itself faster than expected and flailed out at our mother, the claws catching her several times. They didn't put her off, as she let off a rainbow-hued blast that startled the Ursaring and let her latch her teeth into the Ursaring's leg. That seemed to scare it off. But, before it left, it kicked out mother off its leg and she fell to the ground.

'Mom!' This time it was me who cried out. Cinder and I leapt to her side. We were unable to help our mother at all, as the dark cloud of orphan hood loomed over my brother and myself."

As Leafpool continued her narration, something was happening in Veilstone City.

"Go get the Flareon, take it to the forest, and we'll let it look for this Eevee.' Cyrus ordered.

"Why the Flareon, sir?"

"If I can believe those two that I sent out to get the Eevee, then, apparently, it can fight extremely well. We'll need something that can fight even better. And it's already clear to me that mere grunts can't get this job done."

"Very well."

A short time later, a grunt could be seen standing at the edge of the forest surrounding Veilstone. He pressed the button on the front of a Poke Ball he was carrying, and it opened with a flash of light. The light soon faded, revealing a Flareon. However, its coat was different than that of a normal Flareon; where a normal one would have red-orange fur, there was a brilliant gold color.

"You're looking for a blue-eyed Eevee." the grunt told the Flareon. "When you find it, defeat it, and bring it back, all right?"

The golden Pokemon nodded and walked off into the forest.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Flashbacks. Yay. A good story-telling device they are. I chose to add J to this  
adventure because I saw her first appearance in the anime, and thought her  
behavior unusually dark and cruel for a show like Pokemon.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	18. Chapter 17: Become One

The golden Flareon strode smoothly between the trees, enjoying the feel of its powerful muscles as they flexed satisfyingly underneath its thick, aurous coat. It knew exactly what it was looking for; a young blue-eyed Eevee. However, it hadn't a clue where to begin looking. Maybe a quick nap would provide an answer. A low hanging branch would supply an ideal place for some rest. The Flareon edged under the branch and curled up, drawing its fluffy tail over its golden muzzle. Before it drifted into slumber, several memories entered its mind; a Vaporeon and Glaceon smiling tenderly, a young Eevee sleeping nearby, an extremely loud and frightening roar, and finally, a blinding flash.

About two hours later, the Flareon woke up, with still no ideas where to begin looking. It stretched, loosening its muscles, before stepping out from under the branch. Looking around, it chose a direction and began walking. A brief time later, the Flareon walked into a clearing with few trees. As it was halfway through, it was confronted by a human with short, purple hair and wearing a purple jacket. The human whipped out a black, hinged device and pointed it at the Flareon. The device began speaking in a flat, monotone voice.

"Flareon, Flame Pokemon. One of Eevee's seven evolutions, this Pokemon possesses extreme firepower. There is a special pouch in its body used for creating its flames. Its body temperature can reach a scorching 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit before battle. The flames it breathes out are hotter still, peaking above 3,000 degrees."

"Well, 3,000 degrees, huh?" The human clapped the device shut and looked up at the golden Flareon. "That could be useful in a fight. But until I catch you, I'll have to watch out for them." The human then unclipped a small Poke Ball from his belt and pressed a button on it, enlarging it. "And what better way to fight fire than with fire? Chimchar, stand by!"

The Poke Ball spun into the blue sky, revealing a small red monkey, with a flame burning where a tail would be. "Let's go!' it squealed, hopping back and forth on its hind legs.

"Chimchar, Flame Wheel!" the Trainer ordered, pointing at the Flareon.

The Chimchar started towards the Flareon, picking up speed until it became swathed in rolling flames. The Flareon made no move to counter, but merely crouched a little lower to the ground. The flames surrounding the Chimchar burst as the two Pokemon met. The attack was completely useless, as the Flareon literally met the Chimchar head-on, halting it instantly. The Flareon began effortlessly pushing the Chimchar backwards, despite it trying to scrabble forward. Suddenly the Flareon took a step back and flicked its head to the side, sending the Chimchar to the ground.

The Trainer then realized that this Flareon would be harder to best than he initially suspected.

"Chimchar, Ember!"

The Pokemon leapt up and let loose with a barrage of small glowing shots. This time the Flareon _did_ counter, letting fly with a mighty five-armed blast of flame. The burst plowed through the storm of embers and slammed into the Chimchar, knocking it off its feet.

A red beam of light hit the Chimchar as the human recalled the battered Pokemon, muttering to himself. "Good for nothing..." Another Poke Ball took to the air, opening to summon a yellow Pokemon with a small black lightning bolt on its chest and two black bands on either arm; an Elekid. "Let's try speed then. Elekid, Brick Break!"

The Elekid's fist crackled with electricity and it sped at the Flareon. Just as the Elekid swung at the Flareon, it ducked and spun around, whacking the Elekid with an Iron Tail and swatting it backwards. Continuing its assault, the Flareon sprinted after the Elekid and as soon as it touched down, tackled it, knocking it back farther. Yet another Pokemon disappeared back into its ball.

Words would be unable to describe the look on the Trainer's face. By this time the Flareon was walking away. "Come back here! I'm not finished with you!" the human angrily shouted. Yet another Poke Ball flew into the air. "Ursaring, finish him!" As the Trainer said this, the honey-colored Flareon's ear twitched and it froze. The Ursaring advanced step by step on the stationary Flareon. The massive bear Pokemon raised a heavy paw for an attack. Before it could do a thing, however, a scorching wave of heat clouted it in the face. The Flareon slowly turned and faced the Ursaring, fury flaming in its eyes. "Ursaring, Slash!" the Trainer called.

The heavy paw descended rapidly toward the Flareon. Even faster than the slash, it jumped to the side and raced up the Ursaring's outstretched arm. A tackle to the Ursaring's head sent it staggering. The Flareon then leaped to the ground and swatted a footpaw out from under its opponent with an Iron Tail. Now completely unbalanced, the Ursaring fell heavily to the ground. Still radiating heat like a wildfire, the Flareon plunged red-hot fangs into the Ursaring's forepaw, and bit down.

Hard.

It was only the timely intervention of the purple haired Trainer that stopped the Flareon's attack. As the Trainer recalled the Ursaring, he pulled out another Poke Ball and made to throw it. The Flareon stepped meaningfully toward the human, as if daring him to send out another Pokemon. When the Trainer lowered the ball the Flareon spat out the blood it had drawn and turned and loped easily into the forest.

When it had put a respectable distance between itself and the clearing, the Flareon slowed to a walk. Even after fighting off three other Pokemon and running through the trees a fair distance, it was showing no signs of fatigue. Since it had been taken out of the forest when it was about half a year old, it had been forced to train by fighting against several other Pokemon a day, every day, for two and a half years. This continuous fighting from a young age had given it a dense layer of hard muscle under its pure golden coat, excellent endurance, and a quick strategic mind during heated battles. But, in exchange for this, it had given up the innocence and memories of a childhood lived alongside its sister.

Memories of the six months they had spent together would periodically come back to it every now and then. Those memories were all it had to remember its sister, because it had assumed that she had died sometime ago. As sad as these memories were, the Flareon didn't cry; its Trainer had threatened it if had started crying, for any reason. Soon it had learned not to.

The golden Pokemon continued walking in its current direction until the sun had peaked in the sky and the shadows had shortened. Pausing, the Flareon sniffed the air and looked around. Catching a glimpse of blue-gray among the green, it padded off to find something to eat.

"After our mother died, Cinder then had to watch over both of us. For three months after the death of our parents, Cinder always blamed himself for our parent's death. He wanted to evolve so badly, because he thought he would look normal once he evolved, so when we came across what Trainers call a 'Fire Stone', he went up and touched it without a second thought. He began glowing brightly, and when the light faded, he had become a Flareon. But his fur color still wasn't normal, and at that point, there was no going back. The next month passed uneventfully, at least until Hunter J found us. While Cinder was protecting me, he was hit with the beam that almost hit you, Sapphire."

The young Eevee couldn't help asking, "What did it do to him?"

"It froze him in place, like a bronze statue. A metal disc came humming out of the forest and slipped underneath his still form. A glass barrier went up around him and the disc flew off. Now I was completely alone." Leafpool replied.

"Why did J take Cinder?" Rustfur asked.

"Because he was different."

"Different..." Sapphire echoed, almost inaudibly.

"What did you do then?" Rustfur inquired.

"I wandered aimlessly until I stumbled into a huge forest. As I neared one certain moss-covered rock, a strange sensation ran down my spine. Mystified, I padded up and touched it with my nose. Later, I learned that it was called Moss Rock by humans, and it causes Eevees to evolve into Leafeons. The forest seemed like a good place to suit my evolved form, so I decided to live there. I was only there one night, so I didn't have a chance to see if it would be a good place to live.

'Excuse me, are you okay?'

A concerned voice woke me from my dream about Cinder.

'I heard crying and followed it here. Are you okay?'

I looked up, into the softest, gentlest pair of eyes I had ever seen. 'I-I'm fine.' I stammered, quickly turning my head so my visitor couldn't see my tears.

'Are you sure? You don't seem like it.'

I hardly knew this Pokemon, but, somehow, I felt I could tell them anything. 'Okay, I'm not fine.' I began, sniffing slightly. I then went on and told them everything that had happened, starting with my parent's death."

Rustfur spoke up, with another question. "Who was the Pokemon?"

Leafpool smiled at her curious son and responded, "It was your father. He was about half a year older than I was."

"So that's how you met." Rustfur said admiringly.

"Yes, and in that instant when he woke me up, I knew I had fallen in love. He also reminds me of Cinder."

"Speaking of that, I never knew that you had a brother, Leafpool." Needlefur said. "I'm sorry that J separated you."

"Until now, I've never told anyone, except Fireheart. I also have a strong feeling that Cinder is still alive, since Pokemon Hunters only sell the Pokemon they catch. The problem is that Cinder could be anywhere in the world, so I've given up on ever seeing him again."

"I'm so sorry, Leafpool." Ravenpaw said comfortingly. "I can't imagine what I would do if anything happened to any of my brothers."

"I just hope wherever he is, he's happy." Leafpool murmured.

"I'm sure he's thinking about you." Fireheart assured his mate, gently nuzzling her cheek.

"We should probably keep going." Torrentpaw gently reminded his Flareon son.

"Okay." Fireheart agreed. "What about Ravenpaw, though?"

"Give me a second." Ravenpaw closed his eyes and the yellow rings on his body started to glow yellow as Moonlight took effect. "There, that's better." he said, standing up. "Okay, we can go now."

The nine Pokemon again started into the green vastness of the forest, falling into small groups within themselves; Fireheart next to his mate, Needlefur by hers, Swiftclaw and Frostpelt flanking Ravenpaw, to help if he stumbled, and Rustfur, side by side with Sapphire.

The golden Flareon had started moving again, heading towards its target, solely by luck. It quickened its pace instinctively, as if something in that direction was calling it.

After about two hours of traveling Ravenpaw began nodding off. Frostpelt noticed and called to his parents, "Can we stop for a bit? Ravenpaw is almost asleep on his feet."

"Okay, we'll rest for a little while." Torrentpaw answered.

Ravenpaw gratefully sat down and laid his head on his forepaws. It took him almost no time to fall asleep. Needlefur and her mate sat watching him.

The Jolteon looked up at Fireheart's voice. "Don't worry, Mom. You and Dad can get some rest too. Leafpool and I can watch."

"Can we go get something to eat? The last time I ate was early this morning." Rustfur complained.

His parents were about to say something, when Sapphire spoke up. "I'll go with him. I'm hungry too."

"All right." Leafpool answered. "You can go. I trust you, Sapphire."

"Don't worry we wont go very far; I saw some berries back that way." Sapphire nodded in the direction they had come from. "Come on, Rustfur."

The young Eevee eagerly jumped up and followed her. A short walk proved Sapphire was right about the berries. Rustfur recognized them as Cornn berries, his mother's favorite. _It's not as sweet as I'm used to, but it's not too bad._ he reflected as he took a bite and let the juice spread through his mouth.

"Rustfur?"

"What?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"I know we were meant to be together, but what Hunter J said today worries me; she _will_ be back, and next time some one else may get hurt. What I'm asking is..." She found the words sticking in her throat, but slowly continued. "Do _you_ want to be with me knowing that you and your family will always be in danger from people trying to catch me, just because I'm different?"

Rustfur could see from the look in her liquid blue eyes that it was hurting her to say this as much as it was for him to hear it. In a gentle voice barely above a whisper, he asked, "Sapphire...why would you think that? I love you _because_ you're different, and nothing could ever change that. Besides, you _are_ a part of my family, and I'll face whatever life throws at us, by your side, because that's what families do."

"Wow... Do you really care about me that much?"

Rustfur nodded. "Absolutely. I would rather die right here and now, with you by my side than go on living without you."

Tears welled up in Sapphire's ultramarine eyes when he said this. Any doubts about Rustfur wanting to be with her instantly disappeared, and she felt was falling in love with him all over again. Tenderly, she laid her head on his shoulder and sat like that for a while. The snap of a twig caused her ear to twitch. Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she pushed Rustfur out of the way.

"Oof! Sapphire, what's the mat-"

As he looked up, he saw that a golden Flareon held Sapphire against the ground.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

A couple of reviews that I've just recently gotten have called me out on my use of  
_Warriors_ names, claiming they're unoriginal. Yes, they are, I'll admit it. In light of that,  
I can guarantee that the _Warrior_-style names ended with Rustfur. From now on, any  
Pokemon that will be introduced will not have this style of name.

Oh, and if you couldn't tell, I don't like Paul.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	19. Chapter 18: Frightening Truth

"Mom!"

Rustfur's cry seared through Fireheart and Leafpool. Breaking into a run, they raced down the path Rustfur and Sapphire had followed. Leafpool froze when she saw the golden Flareon. It-it couldn't be true. Leafpool stood, awestruck, until Sapphire's pained cry rang in her ears. At that point, Leafpool's protective motherly instinct took over. "Let her up, or you'll seriously regret it!" she called out, striding towards the gold Flareon.

The Flareon looked up at the familiar voice. In that instant when the pressure on her was lessened, Sapphire wriggled out from under the Flareon's strong paw and ran to join Rustfur, behind Fireheart. Cheated of its quarry, the golden Flareon bolted after Sapphire. Leafpool lunged, hitting the Flareon in its side, knocking it over. Expertly, it rolled with her attack, using her momentum to its advantage. In a flash, the Flareon had Leafpool pinned on her back. Shock hit her like a thunderclap when she saw the look on the Flareon's face; she knew this was Cinder, but he'd never seen what his little sister had evolved into, so he didn't recognize her.

"Leafpool!" Fireheart jumped up and ran toward the gold Flareon that had his mate on the ground.

When the golden Flareon heard the name of his sister, recognition flashed in his eyes as he looked at the Leafeon he had on the ground. He had no time to say anything, as the other Flareon rammed into him.

As they rolled, Fireheart could feel the raw strength filling the hard muscles of this younger Flareon. They stopped in a cloud of dust, Fireheart having the gold-furred Flareon against the ground. The advantage didn't last long. The younger Flareon twisted powerfully, so that his paws were underneath his body, and then thrusted against the ground, knocking Fireheart off of him.

Fireheart was surprised by this move, and fell to the ground three feet away. When he stood back up, his opponent was already up and staring challengingly at him. Fireheart snarled and stepped aggressively toward the other Flareon.

Leafpool saw the two Flareons staring each other down. Scrambling to her feet, she shouted pleadingly, "Fireheart! Stop! The Flareon you're fighting is Cinder!"

All action halted immediately when Leafpool said this. "Are you sure?" Fireheart asked, almost disbelievingly.

Leafpool nodded as she walked, in a trance-like state, towards the gold Flareon. "Cinder, I thought I would never see you again."

"L-Leafpool? Is-is that really you?" Cinder had a difficult time believing what he was seeing; after two and a half years, here was his little sister walking straight towards him. All of his memories of the six months they were together came flooding back to him; playing with the leaf right after they were born, protecting her from the swarm of Beedrill, the death of their parents, his evolution into a Flareon, and his capture by Hunter J.

Leafpool had reached Cinder's side by now and Rustfur repeatedly glanced from the golden, well-muscled Flareon to his own slender, lithe mother, looking for any similarities between them.

Fireheart padded up to Cinder and commented, "Leafpool told me she had a brother, but I didn't think I'd ever get to meet him."

Cinder looked a little confused, until Leafpool explained. "Cinder, this is my mate, Fireheart."

"Looks like my little sister is all grown up now and has a mate." Cinder laughed, nudging the Leafeon sitting next to him.

"Yes, I do." she replied, playfully nudging him back. "And you have a nephew. Come here, Rustfur."

Slowly, the Eevee stood up and walked over to his mother. He sat down at her feet and looked up at the gold-furred Flareon.

Cinder leaned over and whispered in Leafpool's ear, "Is the other Eevee, the one with the piercing blue eyes, Rustfur's twin? They look the same age."

"Well, yes, they are the same age, but Sapphire isn't my daughter. She was orphaned when her father died."

"How long ago was that?" Cinder asked.

Sapphire's sharp hearing picked up Leafpool's hushed conversation with her brother. She had heard her name mentioned, and decided to speak up. "About a month ago, when I was a month old."

As Cinder stared at her in shock, Sapphire saw his eyes soften. "Only a month old? Did your mother take care of you?"

"No, I never knew my mother. She died right after I was born." Sapphire said quietly. "But," she added in a happier tone, "I'm not alone anymore."

Fireheart had finally come over to sit beside his mate, and he and Leafpool just smiled as Cinder asked, "Why's that?"

"Because," Rustfur began, "she has me."

"And I wouldn't want anyone else." Sapphire murmured, licking Rustfur on his cheek.

"I wish I could have been that lucky." Cinder sighed, watching the two small Eevees.

"What's the matter, Cinder?" Leafpool inquired. "After two and a half years, I thought for sure you would have found someone to settle down with."

"Unfortunately, no. That's just one of the things I never got to experience."

"Why not?" Fireheart asked.

"Because my Trainer never gave me the chance to. Every day, they would make me fight against other Pokemon. The only break I recieved was at night when I got to sleep."

"That's horrible!" Leafpool fell back in shock, eyes wide. Then in a calmer voice, she went on. "But, look on the bright side," she paused and drew her leaf-like tail over Cinder's powerful, muscular shoulders and ran it down his strong forelegs. "look at how strong and fit you are. With your shining golden coat and your strong muscles, I bet you'd have no trouble finding a mate."

Cinder blushed under his fur a little at his sister's words. "Even so, I would give it all up if I could have had a normal childhood with you." he told her, nuzzling her gently. After a while he looked up at Fireheart. "So, is it just you, Leafpool, Rustfur, and Sapphire living out here?"

Fireheart laughed. "Heh. No, it's not just us, the rest of my family is out here as well."

"Where are they?" Cinder asked him.

As if to answer his question, Swiftclaw and Frostpelt stepped out of the undergrowth. "Fireheart, is everything okay?" Swiftclaw's voice carried an undertone of anxiety.

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"Who's the golden Flareon?" Frostpelt put forward.

Leafpool smile and said, "I told you Cinder evolved into a Flareon, but I never told you what color his coat was, did I?"

Both Swiftclaw and Frostpelt stared at the auric Flareon sitting next to Leafpool. A smile slowly crept over their faces as they put two and two together.

"Glad we could get a chance to meet you, Cinder." Swiftclaw spoke amiably.

Cinder whispered in his sister's ear, "How many Pokemon have you told about me?"

"Everyone." she calmly told him.

"Everyone, as in, there's more than the Espeon and Glaceon?" he asked, amazed, glancing at Fireheart's two youngest brothers.

"Yes, there's more, I've got one more brother and my parents." Fireheart explained to Cinder. "If you'd follow me, I'll introduce you to them."

"Okay."

As the group of Pokemon headed back towards where Ravenpaw and his parents slept, Sapphire pulled Rustfur to the side and whispered to him, "I'm glad that your mother is reunited with her brother, but something's bugging me."

"What is it?" Rustfur matched her whisper, not wanting to draw the attention of his parents.

"You saw Cinder attack me. I think there's something he's not telling Leafpool. I think his 'Trainer' was a Team Galactic member."

"Why would you think that?" Rustfur was stunned, but kept his voice low.

"Think about it. He said his Trainer pushed him every day with little rest. I don't know how Team Galactic treats their Pokemon, but judging from what they did to your mother," she paused and flashed a glance at Leafpool's scarred right flank. "I think it's a pretty safe bet that Team Galactic trained him."

Rustfur was still reluctant to believe it, but Sapphire had a good point, and he had seen Cinder attack her. "Should we tell my mom?"

Sapphire hesitated. "I don't know... Maybe we should wait and see if he tells Leafpool himself."

Rustfur nodded. "All right, we'll wait."

By now they had returned to Ravenpaw's resting place. The Umbreon raised his sleek black head when he heard the pawsteps of the approaching Pokemon. "Who's that?" he yawned, blinking owlishly.

"Ravenpaw, this is my brother Cinder."

Ravenpaw sat up and stretched before greeting Cinder. "Good to meet - " Midway through his sentence, a tremendous yawn opened his mouth wide. "Whoof! Sorry, I guess I'm still tired. It's good to meet you, Cinder. What a coincidence. Leafpool just told us about you today, and here you are looking right at me."

"Yes, it _is_ a coincidence." Needlefur stared levelly at the golden Flareon.

"All right," Cinder started, his head bowed. "I'm out in the forest because my Trainer wanted me to find and bring back a blue-eyed Eevee. But after seeing that Sapphire is in love with my sister's son, I couldn't split them up." He cast a swift glance at Sapphire. She met his gaze, the intense blue depths of her azure eyes unreadable.

_I knew it!_ Sapphire said to herself. _Team Galactic_ did _train him!_ She looked at Rustfur, and as he turned to face her, he caught the look in her eyes, and knew exactly what she was thinking. He edged in front of her defensively, eyeing Cinder warily.

Cinder saw Rustfur's protective gesture and was reminded of himself, protecting his sister from the Beedrills almost three years ago. "Don't worry Rustfur. I won't separate you and Sapphire. I'm done listening to my Trainer; I always hated the way they treated me. I wasn't allowed to cry; they took it as a sign of weakness."

Leafpool looked as if she were about to start crying herself. "Why did you put up with that for over two years?"

"I never got a chance to even try and escape; right after I ate my meal after I was done fighting, I went straight into my Poke Ball."

Rustfur hadn't expected Team Galactic to be _that_ cruel; depriving a Pokemon of having a life other than fighting. His reflection was broken when he heard a sniff from his mother.

"Cinder, I'm so sorry that you had to put up with that because you were protecting me."

"Leafpool, don't say that." Cinder comforted. "I would have gladly put up with it for twice as long if I had known you were safe." Then, as if truly seeing his sister for the first time, he saw the nearly-healed claw marks running down her right hind leg. "Leafpool, where did you get those? They can't be much more than a week old."

She looked down at the trio of pale red lines on her right flank.

"Those are about a week old. I got those when I was protecting Rustfur from Team Galactic."

Sapphire waited to see some sort of response, but Cinder showed no sign of recognition of the name. _Maybe he's just playing dumb._ What Cinder said next completely proved her wrong.

"If I ever come across this 'Team Galactic', I'll be sure to pay them back."

"Thank you, Cinder." Leafpool whispered in his ear. He returned her thanks with a soft lick between her ears. A low noise caused one of her ears to twitch, lightly flicking Cinder. Leafpool smiled. "Hungry?"

"How did you know that?" Cinder stared at his sister, astounded that she had heard that.

"Never mind that. Let's go find you something to eat." Leafpool turned and trotted back into the trees, the two Flareons following her.

Rustfur stayed with Needlefur, Sapphire, of course, beside him. As soon as she deemed Leafpool, Fireheart, and Cinder were out of earshot, she turned to Rustfur. "Look, he doesn't know that he was trained by Team Galactic."

Rustfur began to answer, but Needlefur spoke up first. "I know, Sapphire."

"Wait, you knew that?" Rustfur looked questioningly at the Jolteon.

She nodded. "Yes. When you were attacked by Team Galactic, Rustfur, I thought it a little suspicious, but when we met Sapphire, I had a hunch that you were what they're after. Am I right?" She cast a glance at Sapphire as she finished.

"Yes, they attacked me about a week ago."

"But that's about when they attacked me. They must have thought I was you." Rustfur put in.

"Team Galactic think? Pffft! That's a good one!" Sapphire giggled.

Rustfur couldn't help smiling at Sapphire's amusing remark.

"While you might think that, _don't._ Team Galactic won't stop until they're defeated or they get what they want. You."

The look that appeared in Sapphire's eyes shocked Rustfur; for the first time since he had known her, he saw fear in her blue eyes. In an effort to calm her, he snuggled up against her and gently stroked her trembling shoulders with his tail.

Sapphire turned to Rustfur and stared at his, seeking solace in the depths of his warm, brown eyes. "Sapphire, calm down. I'll make sure you're safe. I _promise._" Rustfur was worried; the look in Sapphire's eyes was beginning to scare him. He had never seen her this shaken before. "Come on, Sapphire. It's okay. Calm down. Please." He shifted himself so that her head was resting on his chest. Soothingly, he began drawing his tongue over her head, between her ears. It seemed to have the desired effect; slowly, her body stopped shaking.

Pulling back slightly, she looked up at Rustfur. "T-thank you. The only other time I've been that scared was when my father died."

Rustfur sighed with relief. The fear that had been building up in the back of his mind was now ebbing away bit by bit. He said nothing, as he felt as shaken as Sapphire was. He just laid his head on hers and took in her scent. "Do you feel better?" Rustfur's voice was quiet and gentle.

Sapphire swallowed and nodded; the fact that Rustfur was worried about her was comfort in and of itself. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry, Sapphire. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Needlefur apologized, eyes soft as she looked at the young blue-eyed Eevee.

"It's okay." Sapphire told her. She then looked towards Swiftclaw. "Hey, Swiftclaw, is it okay if I don't keep watch tonight?"

Rustfur looked at her in disbelief. What Needlefur had said must really have startled Sapphire.

"Yes, Sapphire. It's all right. I'll ask Fireheart and Leafpool if they'll watch tonight." the Espeon assured her.

Sapphire nodded in thanks. She looked up at a touch at her side. Rustfur looked straight into her eyes and asked, "Are you sure you're okay? You don't seem like yourself."

"I guess I'm just tired after all the excitement today." Emphasizing her response, a yawn forced its way out of her mouth.

"So, Leafpool, still like Cornn berries, huh?"

Rustfur looked up and caught the unmistakable gleam of Cinder's unusually colored fur; walking alongside were his own parents.

"Come on, Cinder, you always knew they were my favorite." Leafpool nudged him playfully, then flicked her gaze to Needlefur. "All right, we can keep moving now, if Ravenpaw is feeling better."

"Much better. That quick rest was just what I needed." the Umbreon answered.

And so, once again, the group moved off, with one more member in tow.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Let's see if I can't get you guys through the rest of _ASSIS_ and a little ways into  
_Shattered Truths_ before today is out.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	20. Chapter 19: All In Your Head

A bright, dazzling light blinded Rustfur. An intensely powerful, yet familiar presence filled his whole body. Every one of his senses felt supercharged. This energy made him feel like he could run forever. As he took a step to test this out, he woke up.

He blinked sleepily at his Flareon father. Rustfur had fallen asleep behind him. Sapphire was still asleep, curled up next to him; they were both nestled in the curve of Fireheart's fluffy tail.

"Good morning, Rustfur."

Leafpool smiled at her drowsy son. "Did you sleep well?"

Rustfur nodded and mumbled, "Mmhmm."

A noise and movement caught Rustfur's attention. "Mmmm..." He moved a little so Sapphire could stretch out. "Ahhh... that's better." She stood up, azure eyes bright even though she was sleepy.

"Good morning, Sapphire." Rustfur murmured gently.

"Morning, Rustfur." she whispered back. "Have you been waiting for me to wake up?"

"I thought you were going to sleep the whole day."

"How long have you been waiting?"

"About thirty seconds." Rustfur laughed cheekily.

Sapphire's deep blue eyes flashed with amusement. "Why you cheeky little..."

She growled playfully and lunged at him in a friendly tackle. They bounced over the soft grass towards a sleeping form. They rolled right into the back of it. The shape grunted and stood up.

"Oof..." The figure stretched, loosening the powerful muscles clearly visible under its thick aurous coat.

"Sorry, Cinder." Rustfur said, edging slightly between his cerulean-eyed companion and the golden Flareon. Rustfur still didn't completely trust him, even though he was his mother's twin brother; both of the young Eevees knew that Cinder had been trained by Team Galactic. The Flareon, however, didn't know that, and neither did Leafpool. Rustfur hadn't yet told his mother. He wasn't sure he had the heart to tell her anyway.

"Rustfur..." Cinder began, his voice tired. "I'm not going to take Sapphire away from you. I know you two love each other. Don't worry."

"All right." Rustfur reluctantly agreed.

Sapphire nudged Rustfur lightly. "Come on, Rustfur. Let's go get some training before we get moving again."

His eyes brightened at the thought of practicing with Sapphire. "Okay." he cheerfully replied, allowing her to lead him off.

After the two Eevees had disappeared among the trees, Cinder turned to his sister. "Can I follow them and watch? I'll make sure they won't notice me."

Leafpool chuckled. "Good luck with that; Sapphire could easily hear your footsteps a hundred feet away, and that's if she didn't scent you first. You can go if you want to, though."

Cinder nodded gratefully, then turned and padded in the same direction that Rustfur and Sapphire had went. It didn't take him long until he came across the sound of playful scuffling. As he peeked out at them from behind a bush, he saw that they had stopped.

"Come out, Cinder." Sapphire sighed. "I know you followed us."

Cinder stepped out of his hiding place, both irritated and amazed that Sapphire had known he was there.

"What were you doing back there, Cinder?" Rustfur fixed him with a calm but questioning look.

"I followed you so I could watch you two training."

This time Sapphire had a question. "Why would you want to watch us?"

"Because Leafpool and I used to play-fight and I thought if I watched you two, it would bring back some memories."

"Why?"

"You and Rustfur remind me of Leafpool and myself; you're as close as brother and sister." Cinder explained, looking at Sapphire. "And you, Sapphire, you especially remind me of Leafpool."

Rustfur shivered; Cinder wasn't the only one who'd said that before.

"Oh..." Sapphire murmured quietly. "I guess you can stay and watch if you really want to."

Cinder nodded in thanks.

Continuing their training, Sapphire tackled Rustfur, bowling him over. He reacted with surprising speed, rolling with the attack and throwing all four of his paws out. Sapphire was thrown a short distance, but twisted in midair, and landed on her feet.

Spinning around, she called to Rustfur, "Very good! That's exactly how you're supposed to do it!"

"I couldn't have asked for a better teacher to show me how." he commended, walking up to her.

"Thank you, Rustfur." She kindly licked his muzzle.

"You're welcome."

While they were talking, they failed to hear a distant noise generated by something swishing through the trees. But Cinder did. That noise was all too familiar to him. Tensing his strong leg muscles like coiled steel springs, he leapt into a headlong run.

He completely surprised Rustfur and Sapphire, knocking them both over, tucking them into the curve of his body and rolling swiftly out of the way of a thick golden beam, not unlike the hue of his own coat. The dirt and grass thrown into the air by the resultant explosion settled on him as he stood up.

"What was that!?" Rustfur asked, his voice high pitched with fright.

"One word, H-"

"Don't you mean one letter?" Sapphire inquired. "J?"

Cinder looked disbelievingly at her. "How do you know her?"

"We've met her before. We're _very_ good friends." Sapphire answered sarcastically.

Once again, the wide, blue, spiked head of the Salamence pushed between two trees.

"Well, that one's made a remarkable recovery." Sapphire snorted.

"Rustfur, Sapphire, get behind me and stay behind me." Cinder whispered to them from the corner of his mouth. He placed his large, well-muscled frame between them and the menacing head protruding between the trees.

"Ariados, String Shot!"

The shout sent a dozen gooey white threads snaking out of the forest. They hit Cinder square on, gluing him to a tree on his right.

"Ariados, String Shot, again! Make sure he's stuck to that tree! I don't want him interfering."

Once more, twelve white threads wrapped around Cinder, binding him even tighter to the tree.

The familiar white-haired woman stepped into the sight of the two Eevees. She had let the Salamence come straight at them, circling around with her Ariados and Drapion to come in on their left.

"This should be much easier." J predicted, staring evilly at Rustfur and Sapphire. "String Shot them both, to make it easier."

The two Eevees hopped in different directions, but Rustfur didn't have the agility that Sapphire had, and so fell heavily to the ground, his paws bound by String Shot. Struggle as he might, he just didn't have the strength to break them, so he lay helplessly, watching Sapphire dodge repeated swipes from the Drapion's large claws. They had unexpectedly been edging closer to the Salamence's new hiding spot, and as Sapphire hopped into range, the dragon Pokemon flicked out with its thick tail, tripping her at the same instant as the Drapion caught her on the head with a claw, causing a small amount of blood to trace a path down her face.

She lay on the ground, still very much alive, as the blow had been only light enough to draw blood. J strolled up to her, sneering in triumph. "Gotcha."

"Don't you even think about hurting her! If you do, you'll have me to deal with!" Rustfur squirmed violently, shouting at the Hunter standing over Sapphire.

As Rustfur continued his furious tirade, J dismissively waved a hand at her Ariados. "Get him with another String Shot, but this time get it over his mouth to shut him up and stop his incessant squealing. Then once we get this one," she gestured at Sapphire, "we can get that Flareon back to Team Galactic."

Sapphire sprang up to stop the Ariados performing its task, but was buffeted back to the ground by the Salamence's heavy tail, with a shout of pain.

"Aaaaahh!"

That was it. A furious energy seared through Rustfur like a wildfire. The whole of his body was enveloped by a blinding white light, and he began changing.

The fluffy ring of fur around his neck disappeared and his ears grew a little longer and wider with small tufts of fur under them. His thickly-furred tail elongated, slimming out considerably. His slender new tail split in two, about a third of the way from the end, forming a pronged tip. His body slimmed down, but grew to about twice its original size, as did his legs, snapping the threads that bound them. A perfectly round jewel appeared on his forehead, filling his mind with a powerful energy. As the light cloaking his new body dissipated, one was able to see that his fur was now an even purple and his previously brown eyes were now a dark violet.

He stood up, pure energy flowing through his lithe body. He looked over his shoulder at his new, forked tail, watching it as he flicked it back and forth. He was interrupted when a light, almost undetectable puff of air brushed his pelt. Looking up, he saw a mass of sticky threads flying at him. He ducked with lightning speed, the String Shot whizzing harmlessly over his head. Deciding to fight back with a Shadow Ball, Rustfur began creating one. He was surprised when the energy residing in his mind began coursing into the Shadow Ball, easily blowing it up to the size that Sapphire had made, with almost no added effort. Shocked, he released the ball at the Ariados.

The shot hit the spider Pokemon with a huge explosion. The blast ruffled his short purple coat.

Sapphire stared in awe at Rustfur. He was the exact image of her father, albeit slightly smaller.

J, too, was looking at Rustfur. She was completely indifferent as she flicked a small lens down over her eye. A short time later she returned it to its former position, saying, "Congratulations, you've evolved. However, you're much too young to use any psychic abilities. Too bad for this little one," again she gestured at Sapphire, "you have absolutely no way to protect or save her. Team Galactic will reward me well for finally getting her. And you, well, are just a bonus for me." Still looking at Rustfur, she aimed the metal gauntlet at Sapphire.

"Sapphire, get out of there!" Rustfur called out in panic.

Glancing around nervously, Sapphire then jumped forward, attempting to escape. A heavy tail slammed into the ground a hairsbreadth from her nose. She whirled around just in time to see the Drapion's claw descend and catch her a stinging blow to her right hind leg and send her bouncing towards a stout tree.

Rustfur dashed forward, his longer legs swiftly eating up the distance. Just before Sapphire collided with the tree, Rustfur threw his body between her and the trunk, cushioning her. He now saw the blood coursing through the soft brown fur on her right leg. A flood of images came back to him; seeing his mother lying on the ground, blood running down her leg, Sapphire trapped under the net when she was facing Dusk, and the most vivid, the dream where Dusk had killed her. With each subsequent memory that came into his head, Rustfur felt an intense loathing for anyone or anything evil, especially this Pokemon Hunter. He gently reached down and licked off the blood on Sapphire's head.

"Well, isn't this touching?" J commented, aiming the metal apparatus at the Espeon crouched over the small Eevee. A yellow ray shot out of it, towards them.

Approximately two seconds before connecting with them, it veered off at a crazy angle and blazed into the forest, reflected by a nearly transparent barrier. As Rustfur looked up, his eyes were glowing a bright, uniform blue. He looked at the metal gauntlet on J's wrist. It sparked once, whirred, and then shattered.

"You won't be using _that_ anymore." Rustfur said, standing up and stepping deliberately towards J. "It's caused enough problems, separating my mother and her brother. Problem solved."

Of course, J couldn't understand him, but the way he was glaring at her hinted at the anger simmering beneath his glowing blue eyes.

Behind Rustfur, Sapphire was coming around slowly. Bit by bit, she opened her eyes and saw Rustfur walking towards J. She felt a wet, sticky sensation on one of her legs. Looking at where the feeling was, she saw the crimson color of blood on her right hind leg. Standing up, she felt a quick burst of pain lance through her body, originating from her injured leg. "Oww..." She remained still, waiting for the pain to subside, with closed eyes.

"Salamence, Drapion! Finish off that irritating Espeon!"

Sapphire's eyes flew open at J's command. Even though Rustfur had just evolved, he couldn't possibly take both of J's remaining Pokemon.

"Rustfur, don't! You won't be able to take them _both!_"

Sapphire's cry fell on deaf ears, as Rustfur wasn't listening. He was merely staring at the two large Pokemon bearing down on him. The only thing he could hear was the familiar voice echoing through his mind:

_Take good care of Sapphire._

___________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

The first evolution of _A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh_. For those of you that guessed  
Rustfur's evolution would be an Espeon, you're right. However, I must admit; when I  
had first started writing _ASSIS_ two years ago, I never had any intention of evolving  
either Rustfur _or_ Sapphire. That quickly changed.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	21. Chapter 20: Changing Times

Sapphire watched in terror as the two experienced Pokemon advanced on Rustfur. Desperately she looked at Cinder; he'd fallen unconscious from struggling to break free, but the two dozen sticky threads were too stubborn. _I'm on my own._ she thought grimly. Taking a deep breath, she ran to Rustfur's aid. She had gotten no farther than the equivalent of her own body length, than the pain seared through her, twice as intense. She collapsed, gasping from the shock. She glared angrily at her leg wound. Then, turning her gaze to Rustfur, her eyes softened. _I'm sorry, Rustfur. I'm not strong enough to protect you._ Blinking back tears, she angrily smacked her forepaw into the dirt.

A loud roar caused her to swiftly look up. An aurous beam of energy flew directly at Rustfur. He made no move to avoid it, and Sapphire soon saw why. Another semi-transparent barrier flew up in front of him. The beam slammed directly into the barrier and stopped. Angered by this, the Salamence put more energy into the gold beam. Rustfur showed no extra effort in sustaining his psychic barrier against the increased intensity of the attack.

Finally, the beam fizzled out, its user exhausted. Rustfur was beginning to feel some physical fatigue from continuous use of psychic energy. This newfound energy in his mind, however, was as strong as ever, and Rustfur intended to use it. A blue glow outlined the Salamence and Drapion, effortlessly lifting them both off the ground. However, using this amount of psychic energy was quickly tiring Rustfur. He had to finish this quickly. Focusing the energy surrounding the two Pokemon, he tightened his hold on them.

It wasn't until one of them let out a pained roar that Sapphire knew what was happening. "Rustfur, stop! You're killing them!"

Again, he didn't hear her. There was only one way to get Rustfur's attention now. Gritting her teeth against the pain shooting through her, Sapphire stood up and limped in Rustfur's direction. When she reached him, she brushed against him as best she could, for he was twice as tall as she was. Looking up at him, she gently whispered, "Rustfur, stop. This isn't like you. I know you better than this. You would _never_ kill another Pokemon; you're too kind to do that."

The combination of her soft voice and the light touch of her fur against his forelegs snapped him out of his trance-like state. The blue glow faded from his eyes, and so too did the glow surrounding the Salamence and Drapion. Rustfur was vaguely aware of what he'd done before he lost consciousness from exhaustion.

"Rustfur!" Sapphire hadn't expected him to faint. "Please...say something." She knelt beside his head and gently licked his cheek, trying to revive him. Suddenly the sand-colored fur on the back of her neck stood up, as if she were being watched. Looking in the direction she felt the sensation coming from, she exclaimed, "There's _no_ way you two can be willing to fight! You shouldn't even be able to stand!"

The Salamence and Drapion apparently had amazing powers of recovery; calling up strength from some deep reserve, they had actually stood up and were plodding towards Sapphire, still crouched by her companion. Again she truly was afraid; both Cinder and Rustfur were unconscious, and there was no possible way she could defend both of them, even if her leg weren't injured. The situation was hopeless. Sapphire turned her ocean-blue eyes back to Rustfur, wondering what would happen to him if J had her way. As she bravely swung her head back to the approaching Pokemon, several things happened at once.

Like a bolt of yellow, greased lightning, Needlefur shot onto the scene, followed by her mate and Rustfur's parents. Needlefur flew straight at the Drapion, and Torrentpaw straight for the Salamence. A Thunderbolt from the Jolteon and an Ice Beam from the Vaporeon easily dispatched their respective targets, as they had been weakened by Rustfur's psychic assault.

Leafpool and Fireheart made a beeline for the tree that Cinder was bound to. A quick Leaf Blade easily severed the sticky threads of silk. Cinder slumped to the ground as his sister freed him from his bonds. "Cinder! Where are Rustfur and Sapphire?" Leafpool called to his unconscious form.

Hearing Rustfur's name, Cinder snapped into wakefulness and sprang to his feet, looking around wildly. "Where's J!?"

Leafpool's stomach did a backflip. "J's here? Again!?"

"There!" Fireheart spotted the Pokemon Hunter and pelted toward her. She was in the process of recalling her battered Pokemon, and didn't see Fireheart racing at her.

"Aaagh!"

Fireheart knocked her completely off her feet, and the Poke Balls slipped from her hand. Fireheart stood on her chest, snarling into her face. Even though he knew she couldn't comprehend him, he shouted, "Where's my son!?"

"Get off me!" J yelled into his face. When he didn't, she backhanded him and knocked him off her.

Before Fireheart could respond to this, he caught sight of the bundle of light purple fur and the small brown figure hunched over it. One name flashed through his mind. "Swiftclaw!"

Needlefur and Torrentpaw spun around and followed Fireheart's gaze. The Flareon was already next to the Eevee crouched at the Espeon's side. "Rustfur, what happened to Swiftclaw?"

Leafpool stepped up behind her frantic mate. "Fireheart, calm down. That's not Swiftclaw and that's not Rustfur. _That_ is." She indicated the unconscious Espeon with a nod of her head. Fireheart opened his eyes wide as he stared at the Espeon. It wasn't quite as big as his brother; it must be Rustfur.

_Then that must be Sapphire._ Fireheart reasoned. He was proven right when the Eevee looked up at him through deep blue eyes.

"Is he all right?" she sniffed.

"Let me see." Leafpool answered. Despite her apprehension, she couldn't help feeling a glimmer of pride. It wasn't long until she saw the slight rise and fall of his chest. "He's fine." she proclaimed.

Sapphire's sigh was distinctly audible. Tenderly, she stroked the space between Rustfur's ears with her tongue.

Here Leafpool saw the cut tracing a scarlet ribbon down Sapphire's right leg. Shivering, Leafpool looked back at her own right leg. Hers were almost indiscernible, but Sapphire's couldn't be more than an hour old. "Hold still for a second, Sapphire. Let me clean up your leg. You don't want it to get infected."

She twitched her ear in acknowledgement, and Leafpool bent down to wash the scratch on Sapphire's leg. She didn't flinch in the least as Leafpool gently rasped her tongue over her wound.

"Unnh, my head..."

Rustfur's closed eyelids fluttered and the forked end of his tail twitched slightly as he stirred.

"Rustfur?" Sapphire stopped caressing his head long enough to call his name. "How are you feeling?"

His eyelids flicked open, revealing gentle amethyst eyes. "Apart from a splitting headache, I feel perfectly fine. How's your leg?"

"It's all right. It's just a scratch" she assured him.

"If that's just a scratch, I'd hate to see what an actual injury looks like."

Sapphire looked to her right and Rustfur followed her gaze as best he could from his current position. "Torrentpaw, Needlefur. Where's everyone else? Still asleep?" he asked wearily.

"Actually," Needlefur started, "they're awake. They're looking for something for breakfast. Torrentpaw and I came this way with your parents because they wanted to watch you two training. It's a good thing we did, judging by J's appearance."

"J!" Fireheart whipped around, scanning the forest for her, but he was long gone by now. "Darn it! She's gone!"

"Don't worry about it, Fireheart. Look at the ground right there." Leafpool told him. "There's that machine that used to be on J's wrist. It's completely trashed. It'll take a long time for her to get another one."

Rustling in the undergrowth drew Sapphire's attention. Being around Rustfur's family, she was learning their individual scents, and she identified the approaching noise as Fireheart's three brothers. Sure enough, a jet-black head popped out of the bushes.

"Morning." Ravenpaw called, swiftly looking over the small group. "Where's Rustfur?" "Right there." Swiftclaw pointed out, padding up beside Ravenpaw.

"Rustfur? Is that you?" Ravenpaw asked.

Sapphire answered for him. "Swiftclaw is standing right beside you. Do you know any other Espeons?"

"She's got a point." Frostpelt observed, joining Ravenpaw. "How did you evolve?"

"What do you mean?" Rustfur asked.

"I thought Eevees could only evolve into Espeons through a strong bond with their Trainer, as long as it was during the day." Frostpelt responded.

"Not necessarily." Swiftclaw explained. "It's not just a bond with a Trainer that can trigger an evolution. All that's needed is a strong feeling towards someone, and that 'someone' doesn't have to be a Trainer, it can be a Pokemon as well. I have a good idea where that strong feeling was directed." he finished, smiling at Sapphire. "Although I wouldn't have expected you to evolve at so young an age, Rustfur. I myself didn't evolve until I was about a year old."

"Well, I didn't expect to evolve either." Rustfur added, heaving himself into a sitting position. Looking down, he now realized how much taller than Sapphire he actually was.

"Is your head feeling any better, Rustfur?" asked his father.

"Yeah, a little bit. I don't know why I even had a headache to begin with."

"All Espeons get one after they first use any sort of psychic ability. It's because they often tend to overuse that new energy, almost to its limit." Swiftclaw informed him.

"That still doesn't explain mine, though?"

"How so?" the older Espeon inquired.

"I didn't sense any decrease in that energy, even while I was using it."

"Really? Can you use any of it?" Swiftclaw asked intently.

"I don't know. Give me something to try it on and I'll give it a shot."

"How about," Swiftclaw looked around a bit before settling on an object, "that tree?"

"So what do you want me to do with it?"

"Focus on it, and see if you can snap it off, right above the base."

Rustfur closed his eyes and focused on the tree Swiftclaw had indicated. Swiftclaw suppressed a shiver; most Espeons kept their eyes open when focusing on a target, himself included. He only knew of one other Espeon that did what Rustfur was doing now. Then, suddenly, psychic energy began pouring from Rustfur, at a rate that surprised the older Espeon. It didn't seem to weaken over any amount of time, either.

Rustfur's eyes now opened, a sky blue glow radiating from them. Swiftclaw expected to see the same glow surround the tree he had told Rustfur to focus on.

Then a cacophony of splintering and crackling filled the air. Swiftclaw looked over his shoulder and saw what was causing the noise. A large tree outlined with a blue aura, was listing dangerously towards the small group. "Rustfur! Stop!"

Swiftclaw's panicked cry shattered his focus. At this point, he heard the splintering wood, and swiveled his head around to see what it was. By now the tree was almost to the point of falling completely over. Then...

_Crrrack!_

The tree parted from its stump with a noise like a lightning bolt. The rest of the tree dropped like a stone. Rustfur closed his eyes and began focusing again. Again he was interrupted by Swiftclaw. "No, Rustfur. I'll do it." he said, eyes already glowing.

Again the tree was surrounded by a blue light. The falling tree halted its descent. "Now would be a good time to move." Swiftclaw suggested. "This tree is bigger than I thought. I won't be able to hold it for very long."

Fireheart took his brother's not so subtle hint and quickly got out of the way, followed by everyone else. Swiftclaw was the last, letting the tree thud heavily to the ground as he dodged out of the way. "Are you okay, Swiftclaw? You're looking a little tired." the Flareon asked.

"You try holding up a tree that size with your mind and we'll see how tired you are." he remarked.

Rustfur stared in awe at the tree he'd just felled. With his _mind_, no less. He shuddered at the power he now knew he possessed.

There was a stunned silence as the ten Pokemon gazed at the impressive tree trunk lying on the ground. This was broken by a low gurgle. Leafpool smiled at her Espeon son. "New body, same old stomach. Come on, Rustfur, let's go find something to eat. You too, Sapphire. After that, maybe you two can get some more training in."

"Actually, Leafpool, I wanted to train Rustfur. Besides, a little bit of rest might be good for Sapphire." Swiftclaw put in, furtively flicking his eyes at Sapphire's injured leg.

Leafpool understood immediately. "You're right. She can still come and get something to eat."

"Okay." The Espeon answered.

"Come on, you two. Let's go find some breakfast." Leafpool beckoned, turning and trotting off in search of berries, Rustfur and Sapphire following her.

Rustfur was extremely excited; he was now an Espeon, and he could do things he couldn't do before. He bounced along happily behind his mother.

Sapphire was excited too, but something else weighed on her mind. _Will things be different between us, now that Rustfur's evolved?_ This thought whirled around in her head as she padded along behind Rustfur.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Evolution changes many things, and this is no exception. Now we just have to  
wait for Sapphire's evolution.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	22. Chapter 21: A Stormy Past

"What!? What do you mean Sapphire can't watch me!?"

Rustfur was outraged that Sapphire couldn't watch him train with Swiftclaw.

"If she's watching, you would be distracted and unable to focus." Swiftclaw answered coolly.

"I already can focus!" Rustfur protested. "So what if she watches?"

The older Espeon whirled on him, an angry glint in his purple eyes. "I know that! The one problem is that your psychic powers are incredibly powerful, stronger than mine even."

"How is that a problem?" Rustfur asked, his temper having cooled off slightly.

"Because I have control over mine!" Swiftclaw snapped. "You don't! If Sapphire were here and you lost what little control you have over them, you could seriously hurt her; and I might not be able to protect her, like I did with the tree!"

The shock caused by this statement flashed visibly in Rustfur's eyes. "Oh, o-okay." he murmured.

Rustfur had his head down, so he didn't notice that Swiftclaw also had his head bowed. "I'm sorry, Rustfur, I didn't mean to explode at you like that." Rustfur looked up when he heard Swiftclaw. "It-it's just that..."

"Just what?" the younger Espeon asked, catching something like regret flash through Swiftclaw's eyes.

"Never mind." he answered, quickly shaking his head.

Rustfur didn't push it any farther, slightly shaken by Swiftclaw's outburst. "So, what do I have to do first?"

"Okay, first you'll need to decide on a target."

Rustfur briefly looked around before deciding on one. "How about that rock over there?"

"Okay, now what do you want to do to it?"

Rustfur hesitated for a moment. "Umm, split it in half?"

"All right, now clear your mind of everything but the rock. This is the 'focusing' step." Swiftclaw directed.

Once again, Rustfur closed his eyes, but before anything could happen, Swiftclaw cut in.

"Rustfur?"

He opened one eye and glanced at Swiftclaw. "What?"

"Why do you close your eyes when you focus?"

Rustfur opened his other eye and swiveled his head to meet Swiftclaw's gaze. "What do you mean? Don't you?"

"No , I don't. Most Espeons focus with their eyes open. It makes it easier for them to focus solely on their target. There's only one other Espeon I knew that did that."

"Knew? Why 'knew?'"

"Because that Espeon is dead now."

"What was their name?" Rustfur felt the fur along his spine stand up.

"Gemini."

Rustfur swallowed visibly and a blank look fell over his eyes. Swiftclaw noticed this and asked his nephew, "Are you okay? You look like you've just seen a Gastly."

Rustfur didn't even look at him as he answered, "Gemini was Sapphire's father."

Now it was Swiftclaw's turn to look shocked. "How do you know that?"

"I saw both of Sapphire's parents in a dream that I had two nights ago."

"Why would they visit you in a dream?"

"If I knew, I could tell you." Rustfur told him. "But, what difference does it make if I close my eyes or leave them open?" he finished, changing the subject.

"It makes a difference because your psychic powers are strong enough for you to pinpoint you target without sight, and that helps to avoid distractions."

"Oh, should I try breaking the rock again?"

Swiftclaw nodded. Rustfur returned the nod and turned back to the rock, closing his eyes. Swiftclaw noticed that the other Espeon was straining slightly and that the blue glow hadn't yet surrounded the stone.

Rustfur was having a hard time envisioning the rock in his mind's eye without actually using sight. Slowly but surely, the gray lump of stone came into focus, and Rustfur tried to imagine it splitting cleanly down the middle.

Again Swiftclaw felt a wave of energy assault his own psychic senses. _There._ he thought. _That's the problem._ A cracking noise interrupted his thoughts. Several long cracks had appeared on the rock. Sensing what was about to happen, Swiftclaw threw up a psychic barrier in front of himself and Rustfur. He couldn't have timed it any better; no sooner had he put it up than Rustfur's psychic power shattered the rock, breaking it into many small, sharp fragments. Fortunately, they pinged harmlessly off Swiftclaw's barrier.

The blue light left Rustfur's eyes as Swiftclaw spoke. "I see the problem now."

"What?"

"I can see that if you try hard enough, you can focus on something. The problem is, you have trouble deciding how much energy to use on said target. You're using too much energy at one time."

"How do you know what the right amount is?" Rustfur inquired.

"I can feel the energy start to weaken, and at that point I stop focusing additional energy into the object."

"How can I learn to do that?" Rustfur asked eagerly.

"It's something you've got to figure out on your own. It's different for every Espeon."

Rustfur deflated a little at hearing this. "So, can you teach me anything more?"

"There's a little bit more, but you can't learn it until you can focus on something at a moment's notice and learn to use the proper amount of energy."

"Then, if there's nothing more today, can I go and watch Sapphire train?"

"Fine." Swiftclaw relented with a smile. "Go ahead."

Swiftclaw watched the young Espeon eagerly bounce away through the trees to go watch Sapphire. As he did so, a face flashed through his mind. Without his realizing it, his mouth formed the words, "I'm sorry, Rayne."

Slowly, with weighted paws, Swiftclaw padded after Rustfur, head hung. He only sped up his pace when a loud crash rang through the trees. Rounding one of them, he almost ran into Rustfur. He didn't seem terribly concerned about the noise. Swiftclaw was about to ask him why when he saw the size of the tree that had obviously just fallen. Was-was it moving? Then he caught sight of the source of its movement. "Sapphire?"

The young Eevee was pressed stubbornly against the tree, actually moving it. Swiftclaw was astounded at Sapphire's strength. Rustfur, however, didn't seem surprised by this; he was watching her with admiration. This only lasted a short time, though, as, without warning, Sapphire collapsed.

"Sapphire!"

In an instant Rustfur was out of the bushes and at the Eevee's side.

"Sapphire, are you okay?" he asked, concern ringing in his voice.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay." She responded between heavy breaths. "I guess I went a little overboard with training. Speaking of training, aren't you supposed to be?"

"I'm done for the day." He lay down beside her and drew his tail gently around her. As he did this, he felt a shiver run down his spine, as if a tail were being drawn across his back. Looking quickly over his shoulder, he thought he saw Sapphire's father smiling at him. He nodded, as if in approval, then disappeared.

"Thank you." Rustfur whispered.

"Who are you talking to, Rustfur?" Sapphire looked up at his voice.

"Huh? Oh, I-I thought I saw someone."

"Who?"

"Your father." Rustfur said quietly.

Sapphire's ocean-blue eyes opened wide. "My father? Where?" Tired as she was from the day's events, she stood up and looked over Rustfur. "Where was he?" she demanded, staring at Rustfur?

"He was right behind me."

Sapphire leapt over Rustfur's body. "Dad? Where are you?" She bolted off in an attempt to find her father, but the wound on her leg sent a fresh wave of pain through her body, stopping her after two steps.

"Aagh!"

Rustfur jumped up at her pained cry. "Sapphire! Take it easy. Don't run around like that. You're going to hurt your leg even more."

Sapphire's ears stood straight up and she stared at Rustfur.

"What?" Her blue eyes were staring right through him.

"You sounded _exactly_ like my father just now."

Again Rustfur shivered at being compared to Gemini. He shook off the feeling and trotted up to Sapphire. "How were you training with your leg like that anyway?" he wondered, looking at her slightly bleeding leg.

"I don't know…" She winced as Rustfur ran his tongue over her leg. "I guess I was too angry to care about it."

"Angry?" Rustfur looked up from the slash on her leg. "Why were you angry?"

"I was angry that Swiftclaw wouldn't let me watch you training."

"So was I. But he did that for your safety, in case I lost control of my powers. That way, if I did, you would be safe."

"Even so, I was still furious at not being with you. Since I met you, a day hasn't gone by where you and I haven't been with each other. I found it hard being away from your side. Why was Swiftclaw so worried about something like that, though?"

"I don't know why, but when I asked him, he blew up at me."

"That doesn't sound like Swiftclaw. Where is he anyway?" the Eevee asked.

"I'm right here." The Espeon had been observing the tree Sapphire had felled, and now had joined the two younger Pokemon. "I'm glad you're okay. I saw you collapse, but it looks like you're fine."

Sapphire was confused; this mild-mannered Espeon was the Pokemon that exploded at Rustfur? Sapphire couldn't see Swiftclaw doing that.

"Come on, you two. Let's get back to everybody else."

Rustfur glanced at Sapphire. "Can you walk?"

"I'll try." She pressed her hind foot to the ground, wincing in the process. "Ow… I can deal with it for a while. Let's go."

Rustfur followed the older Espeon, using his tail to support his small blue-eyed companion. Bringing his head down to her level, he whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, things might seem different right now, but one thing will _never_ change. I love you."

Swiftclaw heard Rustfur's whisper and was reminded of that one time long ago. The more he dwelled on the thought, the more tears welled in his eyes. He blinked quickly and repeatedly to get rid of them, so Rustfur wouldn't see. He didn't want to explain if the young Espeon were to ask. A furtive glance over his shoulder told him Rustfur wasn't paying attention.

Swiftclaw had to quickly dry his eyes, for the trio was nearing the other seven Pokemon. Leafpool heard them coming and looked in their direction.

"Sapphire, you look tired." The motherly Leafeon began, standing up and stepping to the Eevee's side. "Were you training? With your leg in that condition?"

"Yes, she was." Swiftclaw answered.

"How _do_ you train, Sapphire?" Cinder asked.

"Trees." she replied coolly.

"Trees? How?" The golden Flareon was confused as to how she did that.

"I find the biggest one I can and knock it down, that lets me train my Iron Tail. Then, for my Quick Attack, I push the tree."

"Wait, how does that help with Quick Attack? I'd think that would help build muscle strength." Cinder said.

"It does." Needlefur explained. "But it does help with Quick Attack, as well. Because her leg muscles are used to the resistance of the tree, when Quick Attack is used, they can then move faster when said resistance is absent."

"All right, I think I understand now." Cinder responded. "How big was this tree?"

"On its side, about four times your body length, Cinder. It was also about as tall as you are, too." Swiftclaw approximated.

Cinder was shocked. "And she was able to move this with an injured leg?"

"Yep. I saw it myself." Rustfur confirmed.

The aurous Flareon stared in awe at Sapphire. _Just how strong_ is _she?_

___________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

This would be one of those chapter where I don't say much down here. The real  
reason I am posting _ASSIS_ is so that you're able to understand the events mentioned  
within _Shattered Truths_, and also so you're able to enjoy it properly, as most of my  
friends tell me that _ST_ is the better of the two.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	23. Chapter 22: The Past Revealed

"All right, let's call it a day." Needlefur called. "Torrentpaw and I will keep watch."

"Finally..." Sapphire muttered. While they had been walking, her injured hind leg had stiffened up, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep. She stretched her right leg, attempting to loosen it. She gave up and flopped down on the ground. Rustfur lay beside her and wrapped his tail around her. He gently licked her on her nicked ear before resting his head on his paws. Sleep was not long in claiming either of the young Pokemon.

Rustfur found himself padding through closely spaced trees. Sapphire wasn't with him, but the Espeon could sense the touch of her mind within his own, so he wasn't worried.

He could also sense two other familiar presences somewhere nearby. One of them was stronger and more familiar and that was the one he was following. As he wiggled his way through a bush, he saw the owner of the familiar presence. "Swiftclaw?" He called to the older Espeon, but he didn't acknowledge him in the slightest. Rustfur was about to call to him again, when a beautiful, sleek Vaporeon gracefully stepped into his view and walked up to Swiftclaw.

Rustfur shrank back into the bushes, fearing that Swiftclaw would scent him, or sense his psychic "signature." When Swiftclaw gave no sign that he knew the younger Espeon was near, but went on gently nuzzling the Vaporeon, Rustfur whispered to himself, "Who _is_ that Vaporeon?" Rustfur only knew two Vaporeons: Torrentpaw and his mother's own mother. Leafpool's mother was dead, and this Vaporeon wasn't Torrentpaw, she was too sleek. At least Rustfur guessed the Vaporeon a female. Still, Rustfur didn't know this Vaporeon.

"Confused?"

Rustfur squeaked with fright and spun around. Another Espeon had come up behind him. "Gemini? What are you doing here?" Rustfur asked? Then, realizing the obvious answer to his question, he continued. "Wait, this is just a dream, isn't it?"

A smile flashed across Gemini's face. "Very good. It looks like you're beginning to be able to tell when you're having a vision."

"I'm having a vision? So this is something that will happen in the future?

"No, this, what you see now, has already happened." Gemini explained.

"But Luna said I could only see into the future." Rustfur protested.

"She never said _only_ into the future."

"Okay, then when did this happen?" Rustfur turned back to look at Swiftclaw.

"About two months after Swiftclaw had evolved."

"Speaking of Swiftclaw, how do you know him?" Rustfur inquired.

Gemini stepped up and stood alongside Rustfur. "I met him, soon after he fell in love with her."

"What's her name?"

"Rayne." Gemini murmured.

"What happened to her? How come I've never met her? She should be my aunt, right?"

"No, Swiftclaw never stayed with her."

"Why?"

"Because he wanted to be with his brother to see your birth."

"He left her for me?" Now that Rustfur knew what it was like to truly love another Pokemon, he wouldn't want _any_ other Pokemon to be separated from their loved one.

"Well, there was another reason..." Sapphire's father said, hesitating slightly.

"What was that reason?"

"His psychic powers."

Rustfur was about to ask what that meant, but at the same time, that statement reminded him he wanted to be able to control his own psychic powers, and he blurted out, "How did you learn to control your psychic abilities?"

Gemini silently laughed to himself. "I thought you would ask me that."

"So, how did you learn to control them?" Rustfur asked, shivering with excitement.

"Psychic echolocation, if you will."

"What?"

"Do you know what echolocation is?" Gemini questioned.

Rustfur shook his head.

"It's how Zubats can fly without running into things. They repeatedly give off high-pitched bursts of sound. The sound bounces off things and returns to the Zubat, giving them a 'picture' of what's around them."

"Okay..." Rustfur waited for an explanation. "How does that help?"

Gemini was patient with the younger Espeon. "I send out a pulse of psychic energy, and when it returns, it shows me, very clearly, whatever it bounced off of. And because you're already using energy, not much more effort is required to manipulate the object."

Rustfur was impressed. "Wow, that _would_ make it much easier. How long did it take you to master it?"

"About three days. But that's because I developed it. If you want to learn it, it might take you a little longer. But once you do, your abilities will become much stronger."

"Stronger than they are now?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because..." Rustfur stared at the ground, letting the information sink in. "Swiftclaw told me my powers were already stronger than his."

Disbelief flashed in Gemini's eyes. "It must be the blue moon's radiation." he murmured. To himself, he added, _How was my own daughter affected?_

Gemini seemed to be lost in thought, so Rustfur decided to try the psychic echolocation technique. He closed his eyes and concentrated on sending out a weak psychic pulse. Gradually, a blue and white image appeared in his mind. Although it was very fuzzy, Rustfur could tell it was the forest he was standing in.

"Gemini! I did it!" Rustfur exclaimed joyfully. He spun around, expecting to see Sapphire's father. However, the Espeon had disappeared, and now that Rustfur noticed, so had the forest. Again he opened his eyes, this time leaving the realm of sleep behind him.

He blinked his amethyst eyes against the bright morning light. He was about to stretch when he remembered something. Sapphire was still sound asleep, tail drawn over her muzzle, curled up in the curve of his body. Her nicked right ear twitched slightly as Rustfur watched her. Was this what it felt like to be a father? to feel such a feeling of peace? Right now, nothing else mattered. A whisper caused him to look up.

"Good morning, Rustfur."

"Good morning, Needlefur." he whispered back.

"How did you sleep?"

Rustfur yawned before answering quietly. "Pretty good." As he finished speaking, a question sprang into his mind. "Needlefur, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did Swiftclaw ever fall in love with another Pokemon?"

The Jolteon was a little put off by this question. "What kind of Pokemon?"

"A Vaporeon?"

"No, I can't say that he did. At least, not that I know of."

"Oh, okay."

Sapphire shifted slightly, catching Rustfur's attention. The young Espeon stood up to allow her some space to fully wake up.

She yawned widely and her eyelids flicked open, revealing her deep blue eyes. She took a long stretch, loosening her muscles. She felt more refreshed than she had in a long time. Even her injured leg felt much better. Training would be much easier. Then, sadly, she remembered she wouldn't be able to train with Rustfur, due to his being twice her size.

"Morning." Rustfur whispered to her.

Looking up, her cerulean gaze met with Rustfur's own. She returned his greeting, "Morning."

Rustfur bent down and gently licked Sapphire on the ear. "What's wrong?"

"We don't get to train together anymore..." she answered quietly. "Now that you've evolved."

"I know... But today, I'll watch you train."

"What about Swiftclaw?"

"I'll just come right out and tell him." he assured her. "Come on, let's go find something to eat, then you can get to training."

Sapphire brightened up at the suggestion. "Okay."

Side by side, they padded off in search of something to eat, looking for all the world like a parent and their kit.

A short span of time later found the pair standing by a fallen tree, their appetites comfortably satisfied. The tree had long been dead, knocked over by some great force of nature. "You won't be able to push this tree very well. Look how splintery the bottom is." Rustfur noted.

Sapphire flashed Rustfur one of her mischievous smiles. "Have you known something that small to stop me before? I thought you would've realized that by _now._" Her tail lit up with a bright white glow. She jumped at the tree and swung her tail vertically. The splintered part of the tree fell away from the trunk, sliced clean through. "There, that's better."

"Can you move that?" Rustfur asked, doubting that she could.

"Watch me."

The Eevee padded up to the tree and squarely placed her shoulder against it. Pushing with all four of her paws, she focused on moving the tree. Surprisingly, the tree slid easily over the ground. Until it became wedged against another tree. From her angle, Sapphire couldn't tell that it had.

Rustfur could, and was about to tell her why the tree wasn't moving, when a crack split the calm air. It took him a moment to realize what was happening. She was _pushing_ the tree over! As she gave one last shove, the strong, young tree fell over with a crash. The obstruction removed, the tree Sapphire was pushing against jerked forward, causing her to trip with a shout of surprise.

Rustfur jumped to her side, but she was already on her feet, showing no signs of fatigue. "Sapphire, how did you do that?"

"Do what?" She had no idea what she'd done.

Rustfur stepped out from behind the fallen tree, gesturing for Sapphire to follow. "_That._ Did you even notice that you were pushing another tree over?"

"Apparently not. I just thought it was caught on a rock."

Rustfur sized up the tree Sapphire had initially been pushing. "Why did you pick such a big tree? Don't you think you might be overdoing it a little?"

"No...I still need to get stronger." she whispered.

Rustfur looked, almost disbelievingly at Sapphire. Just underneath her soft brown fur, there was a firm layer of muscle that was very well-developed for her young age. "Why?"

"Because, when J came back yesterday, and you were unconscious and Cinder was bound to the tree, I was unable to protect you."

"Sapphire, there wouldn't have been anyway for you to do anything. You would have been up against a fully grown Salamence and Drapion."

"Even so, I might have been able to do _something._"

_Wow, with that kind of determination, Sapphire could be a great mother one day._ Rustfur reflected.

"I heard that."

"But I didn't say anything." Rustfur protested.

"You think I'd make a great mother."

"But I didn't say that, I thought..." Before he finished his sentence, Rustfur figured it out. An idea came to him. _Sapphire, are you thinking what I'm thinking?_

Her answer came back perfectly clear. _That's a distinct possibility, considering I can hear your thoughts in my mind._

"Well, that's not something that happens every day." Rustfur said, a little unnerved by the recent experience.

"I'll second that." Sapphire added.

"So, do you want to keep training?"

"Yeah." Sapphire went to the newly fallen tree this time, which was roughly the same size as the previous one. Strangely, she found it resisting her efforts to move it, but continued nonetheless.

"Good morning, Swiftclaw."

"Morning, Mom." the Espeon answered, rolling into a sitting position so he could smooth out his pale violet coat. "Where's Rustfur?"

"He went to watch Sapphire." Torrentpaw told him, not expecting the reaction that followed.

Swiftclaw jumped to his feet. "Which way did they go?" he demanded.

His Vaporeon father indicated the direction with a flick of his head.

Swiftclaw's thoughts were racing as fast as his paws were as he flew into the bushes. _I cant let Rustfur make the same mistake I did. No matter what._

___________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

This would be the point at which some of the characters begin to have their pasts  
revealed. This is also the halfway point for _A Sapphire Shines in Sinnoh_. 22 chapters  
left...

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	24. Chapter 23: A Touchy Subject

"There, that's enough for today."

Sapphire backed away from the tree, a light sweat dampening her headfur.

Rustfur shook his head in amazement. "I just can't get used to that."

"What?"

"The fact that you can move that tree. It's easily as tall and as wide as Cinder is."

"Whew, and it feels like it's twice as heavy as he would be."

"You're probably right." Rustfur agreed.

"Rustfur!"

The young Espeon whirled around. "Swiftclaw?"

He came skidding to a stop in front of Rustfur, demanding, "What are you doing!? Have you used your psychic powers?"

"N-no..." Rustfur stammered, surprised at the level of Swiftclaw's voice.

"Good, and is Sapphire okay?"

"I'm fine." she answered.

Hearing this seemed to calm Swiftclaw down. "Okay, Rustfur, come on."

"Why?"

"Time for your training." the older Espeon replied, turning away.

"Can Sapphire come watch?" Rustfur asked hopefully.

"I told you yesterday, no, she can't."

"Then forget it."

Swiftclaw stopped instantly. "What?"

"You heard me, I'm not going to train."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to."

Swiftclaw was beginning to become irritated. "Rustfur, you'll never learn control if you don't practice."

"I don't care."

Swiftclaw's eyes narrowed and took on a blue glow. "Rustfur, don't make me do this..."

"Go ahead!" Rustfur shouted. "Just like you did to Rayne!"

The glow immediately left Swiftclaw's eyes. "How-how do you know that name?"

Sapphire looked inquisitively at Rustfur. _Rayne?_

Rustfur silently answered her question. _A Vaporeon he fell in love with._ Then, he answered Swiftclaw's question. "From a dream."

"_Again?_" Swiftclaw's response sounded mildly sarcastic.

Sapphire noticed his tone and her temper flared up. "Why wouldn't you believe him?"

"He says it for everything!"

By this time, Sapphire was furious. "He's only said that twice, and you know it! Besides, if he were to tell me that a hundred times, I would still believe him!"

"Of course _you_ would." Swiftclaw retorted.

Swiftclaw's obviously barbed shot at Sapphire infuriated the younger Espeon. "Hey! Don't get angry at Sapphire for something _you_ did to a Pokemon you loved!"

"You don't know about anything that happened!"

"I know that you left Rayne." Rustfur shot back.

"I left to see your birth!"

Rustfur snorted. "That wasn't the only reason."

"How would you know?"

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me. You've already made that clear."

"Fine." Swiftclaw turned away and saw Fireheart coming his direction, Leafpool following him.

"Swiftclaw, is everything okay?" Leafpool asked anxiously. "We could hear shouting."

Fireheart looked worriedly at his approaching brother. "What's wrong?"

Swiftclaw roughly shouldered past without so much as a single word.

Exchanging glances, Fireheart and his mate sped up their pace. Rustfur hadn't yet seen his parents coming, so Fireheart called him.

The Espeon looked back, half expecting to see Swiftclaw. "Dad?"

Of course, Leafpool was concerned. "Rustfur, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Rustfur sighed as his mother circled him, making sure her son was all right. "I'm fine, Mom. Stop worrying."

"What was wrong with Swiftclaw?" Fireheart asked.

"He was a little irritated that I didn't want to train today."

"Well, why didn't you?"

"Because he won't let Sapphire watch. It's too hard for me not to have her near me. You know how I feel about Sapphire, Dad." Rustfur explained, flicking his eyes towards the Leafeon sitting next to his father.

Fireheart nodded understandingly. "I know."

"Dad? Did Swiftclaw ever leave and go off on his own anywhere?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"Just wondering."

"Well, there was one time..." his father answered.

"When?"

Fireheart met Leafpool's gaze, as if they were both recalling something. "It was after I had brought Leafpool back to the Sinnoh Daycare. Swiftclaw was still an Eevee and Frostpelt wasn't yet born. Some time later, Swiftclaw evolved. The day after, he left. To this day, I don't know why he did leave."

"Did you go after him?" Sapphire asked.

"No." Fireheart told her.

"Why?"

"Because," Leafpool began quietly, looking at her son, "I was going to be a mother."

"Swiftclaw returned about three days before you were born. Ravenpaw had followed him with the news that you were going to be born. I never asked why he left."

Rustfur sensed that his father's story was over, so he spoke up. "Thanks, Dad."

"You're welcome."

Leafpool looked down and noted the position of her shadow. "Fireheart, we should probably head back."

The Flareon nodded and turned away.

"Come on, Rustfur." Leafpool said, also turning away.

Following his parents closely, Rustfur silently conversed with Sapphire. _Now it might take me even longer to gain control over my powers._

_Why?_

_You saw how mad Swiftclaw was with me. I'll be surprised if he'd even consider it._

_I don't understand why you even need to train. You almost defeated J's Salamence_ and _Drapion, just after you evolved, too._ Sapphire replied through their telepathic connection. _What happened to that?_

_I don't know. Honestly, I don't remember doing it. Maybe Ravenpaw could teach me something; he knows Psychic, too._

"Rustfur, are you hungry at all?"

"Huh?"

Leafpool repeated her question. "Are you at all hungry?"

"Oh, no, I'm not." He cast a glance down at Sapphire. "Are you? You've been doing all the training."

"Yeah, I am." she replied, swiping her tongue around her mouth.

"Good." Leafpool said. "Because there are-"

"Leppa berries." Sapphire cut in.

"Where?" Rustfur asked.

"Right over there." Fireheart indicated, nodding to the left.

Rustfur followed the gesture, and sure enough, there were the small, round, red-and-yellow berries weighing down the branches of a low-growing bush.

Sapphire trotted over to the bush and popped one of the berries off in her mouth. She chewed briefly before swallowing. "C'mon, Rustfur. Try one." she offered.

Rustfur wasn't really hungry, but he had to admit that the small red berries _did_ look good. "All right." He padded over and pulled another of the berries off for himself. To his surprise, Rustfur found the firm berry very enjoyable; it carried a distinct sweet flavor, but also had a spicy, sour, bitter, _and_ dry tastes all in equal levels. He plucked another Leppa berry off the bush, remarking to Sapphire, "Wow, these are good. I think I've found my new favorite berry."

"I thought you weren't hungry." Sapphire said mockingly.

"Yeah, I wasn't, but I didn't know these would be _that_ good." Rustfur said with a smile, licking red juice off his face.

"Good thing you like them, Rustfur. I can see you're branching out, at least concerning berries." Fireheart noticed. "There are a lot more types of berries out there, and you've only tried..." The Flareon paused, mentally calculating the berries his son had eaten. "Three."

"Four, actually." Rustfur corrected him.

"Four?" Leafpool echoed.

"Dusk gave Sapphire and myself some Iapapa berries while we were kept in our cage." As he finished speaking, Rustfur could hear Sapphire's voice echo quietly through his mind.

_Actually, five. Remember? We had Cornn berries that day that Cinder attacked me._

_You're right. I forgot about that._

Opening his mouth to correct himself again caused Sapphire to speak in his mind, though this time much louder.

_Don't tell them! Your mom still doesn't know Cinder was raised by Team Galactic. Unless you want to explain all that, then keep quiet._

Rustfur didn't yet want to tell his mother that, so he rapidly snapped his mouth shut.

"What's the matter, Rustfur? You looked as if you were about to say something." Leafpool tipped her head to the side and stared at her son.

"I was, but I forgot." he lied.

"You sure?" Leafpool was a mother, and, like most mothers, she had a sort of sixth sense when it came to her son. She suspected there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"All right."

"Come on. Let's get back and see if my parents want to leave yet." Fireheart suggested, padding up beside his mate.

"Okay." the Leafeon agreed. "Come on, Rustfur."

Rustfur stood up and followed his parents. "Dad, didn't your parents keep watch last night?"

"Yes, why?"

"Aren't they tired? Why would they be ready to go now?"

"Actually, they're not very tired. My dad watched half the night, then woke my mom, and she watched until morning came around. That way they both get some sleep."

"That's not a bad idea." Sapphire commented.

The four Pokemon walked easily through the undergrowth, each one with a different thing on their mind; Sapphire wondering who Rayne was, Rustfur wondering exactly why Swiftclaw left Rayne, Fireheart wondering what was wrong with Swiftclaw, and Leafpool wondering what her son was hiding from her.

The speaker crackled with static as Hunter J's voice emanated from it. "Cyrus, there's something that might interest you."

"What is it?" he asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice at the fact that J had finally caught that blue-eyed Eevee. His excitement quickly faded as the conversation continued.

"Do you remember that golden Flareon you bought from me about two or so years ago?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well, it found the Eevee."

"How do you know this?" Cyrus demanded.

"Because I found the Eevee as well."

"Did you catch it?"

"No. The Flareon apparently doesn't want to listen to you anymore. It was protecting the Eevee from me."

"What!?"

"Yes, and there's also eight other Pokemon that are protecting the Eevee."

"Brilliant... Well, was there anything else you were going to tell me? Good news, perhaps?"

"No."

"Goodbye, then."

Cyrus punched a different button on the intercom, linking him to another room in the Team Galactic building. "Send two grunts in the direction the Flareon was sent. Give them both the strongest Pokemon we have, and make sure one of the grunts is the one who trained the Flareon."

Cyrus released the button and swiveled around in his chair, muttering to himself, "I'll get that Eevee eventually, even if I have to go out and get it myself."

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Questions, heads of evil organizations plotting to themselves. The plot thickens...

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	25. Chapter 24: Turning Over A New Leaf

Swiftclaw was still fuming as his Flareon brother padded back into the makeshift camp.

"Swiftclaw! What's the matter?"

The Espeon didn't answer, but merely turned away, ignoring Fireheart's question.

"Come on, Swiftclaw. Tell me." Fireheart pleaded, coming up behind his brother.

"I don't want to talk about it." the Espeon murmured, stalking away from the concerned Flareon. He left Fireheart standing, a confused look on his face.

Leafpool gently brushed against her mate. "Don't worry, Fireheart. He's just a little worked up right now. He's your brother and he still loves you."

"I know, I just don't like seeing him like this."

"Just give him some time to cool off." Leafpool whispered as she gently licked Fireheart's ear.

Needlefur came trotting back into the small grassy clearing, a couple blue-gray Rawst berries in her mouth. Torrentpaw and Cinder followed her. Needlefur set her mouthful on the ground so she could speak. "Swiftclaw, we've got some breakfast for you."

"Thanks." he muttered impassively, approaching his mother to eat the Rawst berries.

Movement in the bushes across from Sapphire caught her attention. A quick sniff confirmed her guess as to what was approaching. An instant later, Ravenpaw and Frostpelt appeared out of the bushes. "It's about time you got back." she joked. "We were waiting on you."

Midday found the group of ten Pokemon standing in front of a cave set in an imposing rock face. Rustfur looked nervously at the gaping hole. "We have to go through that?"

"Yes, we do." Needlefur told him.

Rustfur was about to protest, but the sound of gravel crunching and several shouts interrupted him. A light emanated from the cave, growing bigger by the second.

"Move!" Torrentpaw shouted.

The ten Pokemon split into two groups of five, each one diving into the undergrowth on either side of the cave. No sooner had the leaves stopped rustling, than a Trainer came whizzing out of the cave, riding a two-wheeled object.

"What was that?" Sapphire asked, poking her head out of the bush.

"A Trainer." Rustfur answered, without thinking what Sapphire was asking about.

"I know _that,_" she snorted. "I was asking about what they were riding on."

"Oh, that. It's a bike. Humans ride them around to get places faster." Rustfur explained.

"Gah! I forgot about this." Needlefur muttered. "This is a well-worn path used by many Trainers."

"So what's the problem?" Rustfur asked.

"Sapphire doesn't have a Trainer. I know it doesn't seem like it to you, Rustfur, but she's still a wild Pokemon. She _can_ be caught." the Jolteon warned. "We'll have to be extremely careful. Thankfully the cave is rather short."

Looking across the path, Needlefur nodded to her mate and stepped out of the bushes and trotted warily into the cave.

Sapphire's sharp azure eyes let her easily see through the gloom, and her sensitive ears picked up the high-pitched clicks the Zubats used to navigate the dark cave. Rustfur stayed close to Sapphire, not because he was scared, but because he wanted to protect her.

Needlefur was right; the cave _was_ short, and the group passed uneventfully through it in about fifteen minutes. On the other end of the cave the path continued on, lined by trees, much like the previous side, although they were much thicker.

Needlefur nodded toward the forest. "Let's get under the cover of those trees, so we can avoid as many Trainers as possible."

When they were safely amidst the trees, Sapphire asked Torrentpaw, "Can Rustfur and I keep watch tonight?"

Rustfur looked inquisitively at his parents, his gaze repeating Sapphire's question.

His mother nodded. "Yes, you can."

Rustfur looked back at Sapphire, a grin on his face. She had heard Leafpool's answer and was smiling as well. "So who's going to take first watch, you or me?"

Frostpelt smiled at Sapphire's eagerness and nudged her forward. "Let's wait until we actually stop for the night."

Several hours later, the sun had dropped below the treeline and the veil of night was quickly descending.

"All right, we can stop now." Needlefur said, punctuating her sentence with a huge yawn.

Rustfur tapped Sapphire with his tail. "Do you want me to take the first watch?"

"Are you sure you want to?" she asked, slightly concerned.

"Yes, if you go first, then have to wake me up, I won't be very attentive. Besides, it'll be darker when it's your turn."

"So?"

"Your eyes are much better than mine. You'll be able to see a whole lot better than I would."

"All right, you can go first. Wake me up if you get sleepy, though." Sapphire told him. The young Eevee then lay down and curled up.

Rustfur sat right behind her and draped his tail over her, causing the Eevee to look up at him through incredibly gentle blue eyes. "Good night, Sapphire." Rustfur whispered.

An overwhelming sense of pride hit Rustfur. Now he really felt like he was finally protecting Sapphire. As he looked down at the dozing Eevee in front of him, he was unaware of three pairs of eyes watching him from the gloomy undergrowth.

It seemed like no time had passed until Sapphire was woken up, at least for her. "Your turn." Rustfur murmured.

Sapphire blinked several times, then became instantly alert. She looked away from Rustfur and then shot off in that direction, using Quick Attack.

"Sapphire!" Rustfur took off after her, forgetting he was watching his family.

_Darn it! I've lost her! She's too fast for me._ Rustfur thought irritably, looking around. Then he caught Sapphire's scent and began following it. Rustfur guessed she was still moving quickly, because although the trail was fresh, it took him a while to catch up to her.

"Sapphire! What are you doing?"

She spun around at his voice. "I'm going to evolve." she responded bluntly. "Moss Rock is right behind me."

"Are you sure you want to evolve?" Rustfur asked. "There's no going back once you do."

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I can protect you." she answered, determination flashing in her eyes.

"If it's what you want to do, I won't stop you." Rustfur relented.

Sapphire whirled around and lightly touched the moss-blanketed mass of stone with her nose. A cool, gentle energy filled her body. The soft sand-hued fur around her neck disappeared and was replaced by two small leaves that now sat just under her chin and the back of her neck. Her fur lightened, coming to the same shade that the fur around her neck had been. Her ears widened and lengthened, much like her tail, which was thinning out considerably. Her body slimmed out smoothly. Finally, a curled leaf appeared on her forehead, followed by small brown leaves appearing just above her still-brown paws.

The brilliant light surrounding her finally faded and she turned around to face Rustfur. As she opened her eyes, Rustfur saw they were still the same dazzling shade of cerulean.

While Rustfur had been following her, the sun had been working its way above the trees, and now a ray of light fell upon Sapphire, reflecting off her cream-colored fur. As he stared at the Leafeon now the same height as himself, something hit him like a Body Slam.

This Pokemon that was slowly coming towards him was unbelievably beautiful. The gracefulness and elegance with which she moved hid the fact that she was a fierce fighter. Her short coat did little to hide the definition of her muscles now clearly visible in her shoulders and legs.

Rustfur could feel the strength in her body as she brushed against him. Gently, she closed his mouth with her broad tail. "C'mon Rustfur, close your mouth before a Pidgey makes a nest in it. Let's find something to eat. Evolving makes a Pokemon hungry."

Rustfur turned and followed the slender Leafeon. His mind was focused on one thing: Sapphire's evolved from. He was so distracted by this, he didn't notice when she stopped by a bush of Pecha berries.

He walked right into her, knocking her over. They fell in a heap, with Rustfur's forepaws on either side of Sapphire's head. She looked up at him, feeling her face beginning to redden with Rustfur being so close to her. "W-what's the matter, Rustfur?" she stammered, blushing even harder.

Rustfur was still in a trance-like state and he murmured dreamily, "You're _so_ beautiful..."

"W-wha...?" If it were possible, the already bright red visible on Sapphire's cheeks intensified even more. "T-thank you... R-Rustfur, can you let me up?"

The Espeon obeyed, stepping backward. Sapphire scrambled up and stared at Rustfur, who still had a glazed look in his amethyst eyes. "Hello? Rustfur...?" This attention he was giving her was scaring her slightly. She tried raising her voice a little. "Rustfur? Rustfur?" Still nothing. "Rustfur! Stop it!" she cried, lashing out a lithe paw with a speed and power that surprised her. She batted Rustfur in the side of the head. The blow knocked Rustfur clean off his feet. Sapphire gasped with shock. "Rustfur!" Apparently, her evolution had done more than just infatuate Rustfur; it looked like it had also doubled her physical strength. "Rustfur! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you _that_ hard! I didn't even want to! You were just scaring me! I'm sorry!"

Rustfur groaned and shook his head. "Ow... Reminds me of when we met. You nailed me upside the head then, too. Wasn't I staring at you then, as well? I just can't get used to how beautiful you are."

"You really think I'm beautiful, Rustfur?" Sapphire asked, still blushing.

"Sapphire..." Rustfur could clearly see the red under her short, pale fur. "You're blushing. Do you not like me telling you you're beautiful?"

"No, no. I-it's not that." she quickly corrected him. "It's just that I'm not used to hearing that. You can keep telling me, as long as you're not daydreaming."

"Then this might be a little less flattering: You're extremely cute when you're blushing."

"Thank you Rustfur. That sounds better." she sighed. "I'll get used to you telling me that eventually."

"I don't know why you're shy about _that._ You _are_ really cute."

Both Espeon and Leafeon spun around and froze at the sight. Three Absols stepped out of the trees. The largest was easily a foot or more taller than either Rustfur or Sapphire and had a long scar over one eye, suggesting he was no stranger to fighting. The other two were smaller, but bulkier.

"Ho ho, yer right, Boss. She is a pretty liddle one."

The three Dark-type Pokemon slowly approached the young Espeon and Leafeon, sneering wickedly.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Evolution number two. But, will it help with fending off these Absols, who we might  
have seen earlier?

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	26. Chapter 25: A Leaf in Full Bloom

"Get away!" Rustfur shouted at the Absols. "Leave Sapphire alone!"

"Ooh, Sapphire, huh? A pretty name for a pretty Leafeon."

"She is a cute one." the scarred Absol agreed. "A little young, but I can wait."

Sapphire saw where the Absol was heading with that last statement. "Hey! You've got a lot of nerve talking that way!"

"Oooh, she's also feisty too. Just your type, eh, Boss?"

"Back off! If you're looking for a mate, try your own age!" Rustfur yelled.

"I've had enough lip out of that one." The scarred Absol nodded to one of the smaller Absols, who returned the nod. The black horn on its head began glowing a brilliant white. He brought his head down swiftly, sending off a white crescent of energy, right at Rustfur.

Rustfur saw it coming and quickly moved. Unfortunately, it was too close to the other Absol, who grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and tossed him toward the large Absol. Rustfur found himself pinned to the ground by a heavy paw.

"Rustfur! Let him up!" Sapphire snapped at the Absol.

The Absol sneered and pressed down harder against Rustfur, causing the Espeon to cough as he fought for air.

"Stop it!" Sapphire cried, tears welling in her eyes. "Don't hurt him! I don't want to lose _another_ Espeon..." she sobbed, hanging her head.

The Absol didn't answer, because he had just realized something. "Blue eyes... You're the blue-eyed Eevee that got away when we came across that stubborn Espeon."

From his position under the Absol's wide paw, Rustfur looked toward Sapphire. Her head was up, and her azure eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief.

"You killed my father..." Sapphire whispered inaudibly. Then, her voice rising to a shout, she exclaimed, "You're the reason I'm an orphan!"

What little breath Rustfur had caught in his throat. He was seeing Sapphire's old, aggressive side surfacing again, although this time it seemed _much_ more volatile.

"Let him up!" she ordered.

"No." the Absol retorted.

"Wrong answer. Let's try again. Let him up. Now!"

"Get her out of here. I've had enough out of her."

The two Absols advanced on Sapphire, intent on subduing her. Drawing into range, one of them lunged.

Sapphire moved like lightning, slipping under his airborne form. As the dumbstruck Absol landed, Sapphire whirled nimbly on her hind paws, scoring the Absol's back with her razor-sharp, glowing green tail. Then, spinning again, she smacked the other Absol away with a solid, two-legged kick.

The Leafeon turned and began coming towards the larger Absol. "Let him up, or my next attack will put your other eye out!"

By now the Absol was starting to regret angering this hot-headed Leafeon.

"I guess you didn't hear me. Are you missing your ears too?" Sapphire asked sarcastically. "I'll help you then."

Rustfur watched in awe as Sapphire flickered and disappeared. The next thing Rustfur knew, the Absol was hammered off him. Light-headed from lack of air, Rustfur weakly levered himself up and met Sapphire's gentle eyes. All traces of anger had vanished from their cool blue depths.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice as gentle as her gaze.

"I-I'm fine... he answered, coughing as he regained his breath.

"Wow... You pack quite a punch." the Absol commented as he stood up, a scarlet ribbon of blood running down his front left leg. "But you'll have to do better than that."

The white Pokemon lowered his head to the ground and the horn on it lit up with a light blue. A short time later, a wave of water rose high above the ground.

Rustfur recognized the attack and told Sapphire. "Watch it. That's Water Pulse. But it looks a lot stronger than normal."

"Rustfur, I can't do this alone. Go get your parents." Sapphire directed.

"No. I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Rustfur! Go!" she snapped.

"I'm not going! I _will_ protect you, even if it pushes me to within an inch of my life!" Rustfur stubbornly shouted, forcing himself past Sapphire.

"Rustfur..."

"Sapphire, do you remember when you told me I didn't have to prove to you that I was strong? Well, I _want_ to prove it."

Shaking, Rustfur bravely stared at the oncoming wave. Desperately he tried to form a barrier with his psychic power. _Come on... Please, just this once._

Nothing.

Rustfur looked up at the wall of water and braced himself. He was surprised when the curtain of water split down the middle, missing him. He looked around to find out why and saw Ravenpaw standing between the trees.

"Leave my son alone!"

The Espeon snapped his head in the direction the voice came from, just in time to see his father slam into the Absol. Cinder stood ready, an Iron Tail waiting to be thrown. The attack smashed home with frightening intensity.

Leafpool stood over the defeated Absol, snarling. "Pick on someone your own size."

"Mom!"

Leafpool turned away and saw Rustfur slowly padding towards her.

"Rustfur!" Leafpool ran to her son. "You're okay!"

The Absol tried to rise, but was pressed back down by a strong golden paw. "Stay put." Cinder growled at him.

"Rustfur, I'm so glad you're okay... When your father and I woke up and we didn't see you... I thought something had happened to you."

"I followed Sapphire out here. That's why I wasn't there."

"Where is Sapphire, anyway?" Fireheart asked.

"I'm right here."

Fireheart and Leafpool looked over Rustfur.

"S-Sapphire?"

Ravenpaw stepped out of the trees and came over to Sapphire. "Wow, Sapphire... You look...amazing."

Again Sapphire was blushing. _Not Ravenpaw too..._ she thought desperately, looking longingly at Rustfur.

_Come here, Sapphire. Ignore him right now._ Rustfur silently called.

Uncomfortably, Sapphire got up and padded over to Rustfur. Ravenpaw followed her with his gaze.

Fireheart saw how uncomfortable Sapphire looked, and in an instant, knew why. "Ravenpaw! Get your mouth off the ground! You did the same thing to Leafpool when I brought her to the Daycare!"

_Well, you're not the only one who thinks I'm pretty._ Sapphire telepathically said to Rustfur.

_Don't worry. Ravenpaw just isn't used to seeing you like this._

_I guess you're right._

"Let's get something to eat. Weren't there some Pecha berries around here?"

"Yeah, over there." Sapphire nodded.

Rustfur followed Sapphire the short distance to the bush of pink berries. Sapphire grabbed a branch in her mouth and shook it, not expecting to tear it clean off. "I guess I'll have to get used to my new strength."

"Speaking of that, how do you know Leaf Blade? You just evolved."

"I'm not even sure I could do it again. Let's see..." Sapphire looked back at her tail, concentrating on performing the attack. She squealed with delight when her tail started glowing green and stretched out, acquiring a sharp edge. "Look, Rustfur! I did it!"

"Now if I could control my evolved form..." Rustfur muttered. "You're lucky..."

"Rustfur you don't know how wrong you are." Sapphire answered sadly.

"You just evolved and you can already use your most powerful attack. I can barely control my own abilities!"

"Honestly, Rustfur, you can be so stubborn sometimes!" she snapped. "There's a whole organization of idiots trying to catch me! I don't even have parents to watch out for me! You think _that's_ lucky!?" Tears were beginning to appear in Sapphire's eyes now.

"No..." Rustfur hesitantly responded. "But I'll watch out for you, always." he said, wrapping his forked tail around Sapphire's trembling shoulders. "You're right, sometimes I can't see how lucky I am, to have you, that is."

Sapphire giggled slightly. "Rustfur, you always know what to say. I could never stay mad at you." Then, remembering how hungry she was, she added, "I don't know if you're still hungry, but I sure am."

"Hey! I'm hungry too! Save some for me, they're my favorite." Rustfur sat down and began eating alongside her.

"There, that's much better." Rustfur said, having eaten three berries.

"I'll say, I was really hungry." Sapphire agreed.

Rustfur was about to say something else, but couldn't, as a huge yawn prevented him from speaking.

"Rustfur! You've been awake _all_ night haven't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're half asleep right now. Come on, let's get your parents and head back. We'll see if Needlefur will let you take a quick nap."

A brief time later, Rustfur was able to curl up and finally get some sleep. Even though she wasn't tired in the least, Sapphire lay right alongside him, watching him as he drifted into sleep.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

To those of you who guessed it, those Absols were in fact affiliated with Team Galactic.  
Now, I'd like to address an issue that I ran across while loading _ASSIS_ onto deviantArt.  
Personally, I have nothing against Dark-types; I am just choosing the Pokemon  
that best fit the Pokemon that Team Galactic would employ.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	27. Chapter 26: Pushing You Away

Sapphire had gotten drowsy watching Rustfur sleeping, and, as a result, laid her head down on her paws. She started slightly when Rustfur rolled over and placed a paw on her neck.

"Hey there, sleepy."

Sapphire looked over at the Espeon through half-closed eyes. "Did you get enough sleep?"

"I don't know. I'll tell you when I'm fully awake." Rustfur yawned.

"Heehee, all right." Sapphire giggled. "When you're awake then."

The two young Pokemon lay still and gazed into one another's eyes until a thought came to Rustfur.

_Well, things_ have _changed between us. We've both evolved... I guess I'll ask her._

"Ask me what, Rustfur?"

"Ummm... you know how things are a little different now?"

Sapphire nodded.

"Ummm... I was going to ask you if you... ummm...."

"Come on, Rustfur. What did you want to ask me?" she urged, sitting up.

Even with her sensitive ears, Sapphire could barely hear Rustfur. "I was going to ask you if you would want to be my... my... mate." he nervously finished, sitting up as well.

"Rustfur..."

_Brilliant. Did I ask too soon?_ Rustfur thought anxiously.

"I would _love_ to!" Sapphire exclaimed, playfully tackling Rustfur.

"Y-you would?"

"Of course! You don't have to be worried about what I would think. You know I love you." She lightly poked Rustfur in his chest with a slender paw.

"I love you too, Sapphire. Now if you love me, can you let me up?"

"Oh, sorry." She stepped back and allowed him to rise.

"Phew! That's better. Now that I can breathe, it's my turn!"

Sapphire squealed happily as Rustfur tackled her. They playfully rolled around, kicking up small clouds of dust.

"Whew! Sapphire, ease up! I don't have your strength or endurance. I'm exhausted!"

"You're getting stronger, though." Sapphire complimented. "I can tell. I'm a little winded."

"I've still got a long way before I'd be able to hold my own against you." he said, smoothing his ruffled purple fur with his tongue.

"Thank you. Though now I'll be able to train with you again."

"You're right. Do you want to do some?"

"If you want to be training in the dark, then sure."

"In the dark? Why would it be in the dark?" Rustfur looked oddly at Sapphire.

"Look at the sky. It's getting orange. Rustfur, you slept the whole day." the blue-eyed Leafeon told him.

Rustfur was shocked. "Are you serious!? Then we haven't gone anywhere!"

"That's right. Don't worry about it though, you were tired."

"I suppose you're right. There's no point in worrying about it now. Come on, let's get back to everyone else."

The Espeon padded away from the small clearing where Needlefur had told him he could sleep undisturbed. He stopped completely when he saw the only other Pokemon in the makeshift camp.

Sapphire lightly brushed against Rustfur's soft, velvety coat as she came up beside him. "What's the matter?"

"Swiftclaw."

The older Espeon heard his name and turned around. "Rustfur, you're finally awake."

Rustfur slowly approached the other Espeon. "Swiftclaw, I want to tell you something..."

"Hold on, Rustfur." Swiftclaw interrupted. "I want to apologize for blowing up at you and Sapphire. Now, what did you want to tell me?"

Rustfur knew this was going to be hard, but he had to do this. "Can you start training me again?"

"Of course. But you do know-"

"I know, I know. Sapphire can't watch."

Sapphire saw how hard it was for Rustfur to say this, and she felt tears coming to her eyes. "Rustfur, if this is hard, you don't have to-"

"Sapphire, I don't _want_ to do this, but I need to. Until I get control of my powers, I can't protect you. You are the most beautiful Pokemon I've ever seen, and I want to make sure I can take care of you. If I need to put you in the back of my mind for a while to make sure I can protect you, then I'll do it, no matter how hard it is."

Sapphire wasn't liking this any more than Rustfur was, but she knew he was right. "Rustfur!" The tears hiding in her eyes began rolling unbidden down her cheeks, like twin streams, and she pressed her face into Rustfur's chest.

"Sapphire, don't cry. Shhh. It'll be all right." Rustfur said softly, gently stroking Sapphire's back with his tail. "Come on. Shhh. Stop crying. We still have tonight."

"R-Rustfur... I-I love you so much..." Sapphire managed to say between sobs.

Swiftclaw turned away as Rustfur continued to comfort the upset Leafeon. _What have I done? He's pushing her away... Just like_ I _did with Rayne... I don't want Rustfur to go through that._ Swiftclaw blinked once, hard, to get tears out of his own eyes. He turned back to Rustfur, who still couldn't calm Sapphire down, and at this point looked close to tears himself. "Rustfur?"

The young Espeon sniffed and looked at Swiftclaw. "What?"

"I know exactly how you feel." he sympathized.

"How?"

"Because I did the same thing you're doing now to Rayne. I-" Swiftclaw bowed his head, took a deep breath, and continued in a shakier voice. "I pushed her away, because I couldn't control my abilities, and I didn't want to hurt her. But, I still did. She loved me like Sapphire loves you. And I, I stupidly cut that off!" he finished angrily. "Rustfur, don't do that to Sapphire. Don't be an idiot like I was. Let her watch."

"But, what if I'm not able to control my powers? You said you couldn't stop me if I put Sapphire in danger."

"By myself, maybe not. But if Ravenpaw was there as well, both of our efforts might be able to, so, Sapphire, you can watch."

Sapphire pulled her head back and looked into Rustfur's violet eyes. "Rustfur... We can still be together."

Rustfur stared back, pure relief shining in his, and Sapphire's eyes. "Oh, Sapphire... I'm _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to push you away like that, but I was trying to keep you safe. I will never, ever push you away like that again. Never."

Sapphire laid her head back on Rustfur's chest. "I'll always be with you, Rustfur. Forever..."

So, we're going to start tomorrow, Swiftclaw?"

"Yes, the sooner we get started, the sooner you can start protecting Sapphire." Swiftclaw told him.

"Okay." he said brightly. "Come on, Sapphire. Let's get some sleep. It's getting dark."

Rustfur padded off with Sapphire to find a comfortable sleeping spot. Swiftclaw watched as they bedded down together.

"I wish I could still do that with Rayne..." he murmured to himself.

Rustfur gently licked Sapphire on her cheek. "I'll see you in the morning, Sapphire." He then lay his head on his paws and shut his eyes. He slitted one eye when he heard approaching pawsteps. His parents, grandparents, and brothers of both his parents had come back. "Mmmf. I'll ask where they were tomorrow."

"Hey, Swiftclaw." Fireheart quietly called. "Looks like Rustfur is still tired." he added, looking at his dozing son. "You look happier, too."

"I do feel much better. And, yes, Rustfur is still tired. He had a rough day today. That, with his lack of sleep last night hit him pretty hard. He'll be fine come tomorrow morning."

"Some sleep sounds good." Fireheart said to his mate.

Leafpool nodded. "Let's go, Fireheart."

Again Swiftclaw watched another pair of Pokemon walk off side by side. He didn't even bother to look in his parents direction. He already knew they would be with one another. Feeling a little depressed, Swiftclaw turned and followed Frostpelt to bed. Cinder and Ravenpaw sat down to alternate keeping watch.

"Swiftclaw, you all right?" Frostpelt asked. "You look a little down."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired." the Espeon muttered, laying down to sleep.

"If you say so..."

Swiftclaw closed his eyes, desperately wanting to fall asleep quickly, so that he might be able to see Rayne in his dreams. Seeing how much Rustfur and Sapphire loved each other had brought back vivid memories of himself and the beautiful Vaporeon. Finally he fell asleep and saw her gracefully striding towards him. He ran to meet her, his heart beating faster. Joyfully, he nuzzled her on her cheek. "Rayne, I'm sorry..."

The gentle, sweet voice that Swiftclaw had missed drifted quietly into his ears. It's okay, Swiftclaw. Everything's fine. Don't worry."

"I've missed you _so_ much."

"I'm here now." she murmured warmly.

Swiftclaw was so happy to see Rayne, he forgot that this was just a dream. "I know..."

As the night wore one, the eight Pokemon slept on, trusting the Umbreon and golden Flareon to watch over them.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Remember what Rustfur said to Sapphire about not pushing her away. Remember  
it until Chapter 34 of _ST._

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	28. Chapter 27: What's Wrong?

Surprisingly, Rustfur woke up before Sapphire did, and for a while he sat watching her as she slept.

On a sudden thought, he got up and trotted off to the bush of Pecha berries he had eaten from yesterday, whispering to Ravenpaw as he passed, "I'll be right back."

Ravenpaw nodded silently.

Rustfur easily found the bush and shook one of its branches, dislodging five berries. Two of them, he ate, enjoying their sweet flavor. He picked up the the remaining three and headed back to Sapphire. She was still asleep, so he sat the berries down and resumed watching her. Her chest slowly rose and fell with each breath she took.

_She's right. I am lucky._ Rustfur reflected.

The Leafeon stirred with a small grunt. "Mmmm."

"Good morning, Sapphire."

Hearing Rustfur's voice, she rolled over and sat up. "You look happy. What's up?" she asked with a yawn.

"Look down."

Sapphire did and then looked back at Rustfur. "Are those for me?"

Rustfur nodded. "Mmhmm."

"Who got them? Everyone else is asleep."

"I did."

"You did? Rustfur, you didn't have to do that."

"I know. I wanted to. Besides, if you're going to be my mate one day, I'll need to learn how to start finding food for the both of us."

"Thanks." Sapphire told him, smiling gently. "Are they all for me?"

"Yep. I've already had some."

"Thank you." she bent down and began eating. "Well, Rustfur, I think I've got a new favorite berry."

Rustfur laughed to himself. "You must really like them if you've picked those over all the others you've had."

Sapphire looked up from the one remaining berry. "The fact that they're _your_ favorite helps." she added with a smirk.

Rustfur flicked Sapphire's nicked ear with his tail. "Come on, finish the last one. Then I'll come watch you train, all right?"

"Okay, I'm done." Sapphire stood up, swiping her tongue around her mouth. "Let's go."

They trotted off farther into the forest, quickly coming upon a wide clearing carpeted with short, soft grass. Sapphire swept the edge of the clearing with her gaze, looking for a thick, sturdy tree. "There we go." She had spotted a tree standing tall some distance away. The Leafeon strolled over to it and studied it from its base.

"You'll want the tree to fall _into_ the clearing, so use Leaf Blade to cut almost all the way through the side opposite the clearing, then give it a good smack on that side to knock it over." Rustfur advised, coming up beside Sapphire.

"Huh?"

"If you do that, the tree'll fall right into the clearing."

"Wow, Rustfur. That's not a bad idea. You're pretty smart. With your strategic mind and my speed and strength, we'd make a great team."

"Not until I get control of my psychic powers. And at the rate I'm going, that may be a while."

"I know you'll get it quickly, Rustfur. I believe in you." Sapphire told him confidently.

"That's all I need to hear." Rustfur replied. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now take a step back." she warned him, her tail glowing green.

Rustfur nodded and took a couple of steps backward. When he was safely out of the way, she swung hard. Not expecting the Leaf Blade to slice so smoothly through the tree, the momentum of the swing spun Sapphire around. Rustfur heard the whistle and felt the breeze of Sapphire's razor-sharp tail as it flew past his nosetip. He shook his head to brush off the surprise.

Sapphire whirled around, eyes wide. "Oh no, Rustfur! I'm sorry! Did I hit you?"

Rustfur blinked several times. "N-no. Just barely though."

"Whew." she sighed. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. No harm done. Now how are you going to knock the tree over?"

"Like this." Sapphire set her shoulder against the rough bark of the tree. "Let's see how strong I am." she muttered, half to herself. The smooth muscles in her shoulders and legs stood out as she strained against the tree.

"Sapphire... I don't think you'll be able to-" Rustfur was interrupted by a resounding crack.

Knowing she was making progress, Sapphire pushed even harder, sweat beading on her short, pale golden fur. Then, suddenly,

_Ccrrrack!_

What little part of the tree that was resisting Sapphire's efforts gave way, and the Leafeon fell flat.

"Wow..." Rustfur murmured breathlessly.

"See...Told you." Sapphire laughed, standing up. "Let me cut off the other end."

"Aren't you exhausted?"

"No, not really." she answered, cutting smoothly through the opposite end of the tree. She came back to Rustfur's end and began pushing the tree toward the middle of the clearing, almost effortlessly.

When it had reached the center of the clearing, Sapphire had an idea. Just like the day before, Rustfur saw her disappear, and an instant later, reappear.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Watch."

As he did, the tree split into four equal sections and fell apart.

"That was Aerial Ace. It lets me move even faster than Quick Attack, but only over much shorter distances."

"Wow. Even Needlefur can't move that fast. I can't even follow you." Rustfur commented, amazed.

Sapphire hung her head and her lithe body shivered slightly. "Ugh. I'm not used to moving at those speeds. I'll need to practice some more."

"Now? You look really worn out."

"I'm fine." she stubbornly insisted, shivering again.

"Sapphire..."

"I'm fine!" she snapped.

Rustfur blinked and recoiled slightly at the brief resurfacing of Sapphire's fiery temper.

"But, if you think I've done enough today, then I'm done."

"I was just making sure you don't push yourself too hard and end up injuring yourself."

"Don't worry about me. I'm f-fi-"

Suddenly, Sapphire's legs buckled and she collapsed.

"Sapphire!" Rustfur knelt by her head, checking to make sure she was still breathing. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth when he felt Sapphire's warm breath against his cheek.

Ravenpaw snapped his jet-black head in the direction Rustfur and Sapphire had gone. _What was that?_ He rose, telling Cinder, "I'll be right back."

The Umbreon quickened his pace, a strange feeling in the back of his mind getting stronger as he ran.

Rustfur looked up as he heard pawsteps behind him.

"Rustfur! Is everything okay? Where's Sapphire?"

Rustfur slowly stood up and moved to the side, fully revealing Sapphire's unconscious form.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"She's okay, but I don't know what happened..." Rustfur said uncertainly.

"Wait, _that's_ what that feeling was." Ravenpaw figured out.

"What?"

"Radiation."

"From a blue moon?" Rustfur guessed.

"Exactly."

"But it's early in the morning. Where's it coming from?"

"Her body. For some reason, there was a surge of energy in her body. I'm guessing she's not quite completely used to that energy, and that's why she fainted."

"Will she be okay?" Rustfur asked anxiously.

"She's exceptionally strong for her age. Once the energy subsides, she'll be perfectly fine."

"How long will that take?"

"I'm not sure." Ravenpaw regretfully told the Espeon. "Let's see if we can get her back to camp."

Assisted by Rustfur, Ravenpaw gently eased his nose under Sapphire's midsection and slid her onto his back. Slowly, so as not to cause Sapphire to slip off, the Umbreon padded back to the area where the other Pokemon would be waking up. Rustfur sullenly followed him, worrying about the beautiful young Leafeon draped limply over Ravenpaw's black back.

As the came back into the camp, Fireheart was just leaving from the opposite side.

"Rustfur called after his father. "Dad, wait!"

As the Flareon turned at his son's voice, he saw his brother slowly coming towards him, Sapphire still on his back. "What's the matter with her?" he urgently inquired, racing over to the Umbreon.

"She fainted while she and Rustfur were training. Oof! Here, can you take her?" the Umbreon asked, staggering a bit under Sapphire's weight.

Fireheart nodded and placed his back under Sapphire's head and forepaws. He shrugged a little to get her safely over his soft back. The Flareon approached his still sleeping mate, whispering, "Leafpool? Leafpool, wake up."

The Leafeon slowly came around, blinking sleepily. "What is it, Fireheart?" All signs of drowsiness vanished from Leafpool's gaze when she saw the unconscious Leafeon on her mate's back. Leafpool jumped up, saying, "Put her down, gently, right here."

Sapphire slid delicately off Fireheart's back into the flattened patch of grass where Leafpool had been moments before. Rustfur sat beside her, watching, with tears in his eyes, as Sapphire took long, shallow breaths. "Come on, Sapphire... Wake up, please..." Rustfur whispered, licking Sapphire on her cheek.

"Rustfur? Sapphire? Are you two up yet?"

"Rustfur is, Swiftclaw." Fireheart murmured, not looking up.

"What about Sapphire? Is she-" Swiftclaw paused mid-question when he saw the Leafeon. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine." Ravenpaw answered. "She fainted from an excess of blue moon radiation."

"It's the middle of the morning." Swiftclaw replied disbelievingly.

"It came from her own body." Ravenpaw explained. "She isn't used to it yet and the surge of it surprised her body and caused her to faint. She'll be fine when it wears off."

"That's good to hear." Swiftclaw stepped up behind the younger Espeon. "Rustfur, let's go get some training done. I'm sure Sapphire will be awake when you're done. I want to teach you something. It would help you protect Sapphire."

Rustfur's ears stood up. "Really?" He turned to Swiftclaw, but cast a reluctant glance at Sapphire.

"Don't worry, Rustfur. I'll come get you if she wakes up." Leafpool assured her son.

"Actually, Leafpool, I need you to help me teach Rustfur the trick I told him about."

Leafpool was about to protest when Fireheart spoke up. "I'll watch her. You can go help Swiftclaw."

"Okay." Leafpool brushed her nose across her mate's cheek. "Come on, Rustfur."

He got up and followed his mother and Swiftclaw, but not before throwing one more pained glance in Sapphire's direction.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Blue moons; nasty things they are, at least in this world, that is.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	29. Chapter 28: Of Sun and Spheres

"Okay, Swiftclaw, what did you need me to help with?"

"You know Sunny Day, right?"

Leafpool nodded." Yes, I do. Why?"

"Could you teach it to Rustfur? I remembered that a Leafeon's ability, Leaf Guard, activates in the presence of unusually bright sunlight. If Rustfur could learn it, he'd have an easier time protecting Sapphire." Swiftclaw pointed out.

Rustfur had hear the better part of the conversation and had a question. "How so?"

Now it was Leafpool's turn to explain. "Leaf Guard prevents a Leafeon from suffering from poison, paralysis, burns, or any other negative ailments. But, the sun must be brighter than usual. That's what Sunny Day lets a Pokemon do; control the sun's brightness. Watch." The Leafeon looked up at the bright blue morning sky and pale red energy began gathering in the curve of the curled leaf on her forehead, forming a small glowing sphere. The orb then whizzed into the sky and burst, intensifying the sun's rays threefold.

Rustfur squinted against the bright light. Through his half-shut eyes he glanced at his mother and blinked; she was shrouded in a thin, bright green aura. "This is what Leaf Guard looks like." she explained to her son. " But it's not an indefinite defense. It fades as soon as Sunny day does."

"So how can I use Sunny Day?" Rustfur asked eagerly.

"It should be easier for you to learn how, Rustfur, with your being an Espeon. Because the sun played a role in your evolution, you're already familiar with this energy. You just need to learn how to direct it." Swiftclaw told him. "But, I don't know Sunny Day myself, so I honestly don't know how to direct it..." he admitted. He shot a look at Leafpool. " Could you describe how _you_ direct the energy?"

Rustfur's mother looked a little put off by this question. "Ummm... Well, I find it easier when I can get some direct light falling on my tail, but other than that, I can't really explain how."

Swiftclaw snorted irritably. "Brilliant... Rustfur has no way of collecting solar energy." Swiftclaw closed his eyes, thinking. "Because the energy is in the gem on his forehead!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

Rustfur stared at him oddly as the older Espeon explained himself. "All Espeons constantly produce an energy similar to that which the Sun gives off. To prevent negative effects from this constant energy production, said energy is dissipated through the red gem on their forehead, and also whenever they use their psychic abilities. You just need to stop that energy from escaping for a short amount of time."

"How do I do that?"

"Focus some psychic energy on the gem. Because it's where your psychic power originates from, if you focus on the gem, you'll merely stop the flow of psychic energy, and as such, the flow of energy your body naturally creates. Then just release the built up energy into the sky." Swiftclaw instructed.

"Can I try?" Rustfur didn't wait for an answer and had already closed his eyes.

"Wait a minute, Rustfur." His mother stopped him. "Wait until my Sunny Day wears off, otherwise you won't know if you did it right."

Rustfur had to admit that made sense, so he sat back down. Soon enough, the bright light faded, along with the aura around his mother. "See? It doesn't last forever."

"Now you can try."

Rustfur closed his eyes and found it was easy to focus on the gem in his forehead. Almost instantly, he felt energy building up in his mind. It built up at an alarming rate and he could feel it fighting his efforts to restrain it. To him, it felt like nothing was happening, but his eyes were closed and he couldn't see what was actually happening.

Leafpool and Swiftclaw, on the other hand, had a different view. The pale red orb hovering in front of the gem on Rustfur's forehead was twice as big as the one Leafpool made.

Rustfur couldn't hold back the flow of energy anymore. "Ahh!" The red orb zipped off into the blue sky and burst. Rustfur staggered a little from the release of the energy. "Did it work?"

"Turn around and ask your mother." Swiftclaw told him.

Rustfur did, and he saw the familiar green shroud over his mother's body. She nodded upward. "Now look up." The Sun's rays were again beating down fiercely. "You did it, Rustfur!" Leafpool exclaimed, giving her son a congratulatory lick on his cheek. "I'm proud of you..."

Swiftclaw came up to the younger Espeon. "Nice work, Rustfur."

"Thanks, Swiftclaw. Is there anything else you wanted to teach me? Ooh! Could you teach me Reflect?"

"It _would_ help you protect Sapphire. I guess I could."

"Okay! Where do I start?"

"Make a sphere of psychic energy, then, this might be a harder step, expand that sphere around you by putting psychic energy into the middle of it. Now you need to reinforce the new half-sphere with still more energy that you'll have to maintain. The good thing is that once you're exerting the energy to strengthen that field, it will retain its shape."

"Wow..." Rustfur hadn't expected there to be that many steps just to perform Reflect. But he wanted to protect Sapphire more that anything else, so he would practice it until he perfected it.

He closed his eyes, not to focus, but to think. _Half sphere... Hmmm. Why make a whole sphere if only half is used? Maybe I could just start with a half sphere... How, though? Wait, the psychic echolocation Gemini taught me must be a half sphere, because I could see above me when I tried it. Let's see if I'm right._

Rustfur let off a weak psychic pulse like he'd done in his dream. Swiftclaw felt this and guessed what Rustfur was doing. Rustfur saw the slightly blurred image in his mind, including the treetops above him. _Okay, so it is a half sphere._

"Rustfur, that's a good idea, but it'll only be enough to project the field around yourself. If you want to get it around another Pokemon, like Sapphire, you'll have to use the method I told you."

"Oh, okay..." Rustfur replied, disappointed. _That's a lot of steps to do._ he thought. "Is there some way I could practice each step?"

"Actually, yes. Because you can use Shadow Ball, you can already generate spheres. Just act like you're going to make a Shadow Ball, but use psychic energy instead." Swiftclaw instructed.

"How will I know if it's a ball?"

"You'll be able to see it in your mind." Swiftclaw assured him.

"All right." Again Rustfur closed his eyes and imagined creating a ball out of psychic energy. He found, to his delight, that the sphere formed almost effortlessly. When he attempted the next step, the sphere disappeared. Rustfur tried again, this time imagining the sphere expanding. The sphere _did_ expand, violently. In actuality, it burst.

This small explosion slashed through Rustfur's mind, causing him to cry out. "Aaahh!"

"Rustfur!" His mother jumped to his side as he staggered from the shock.

Swiftclaw flinched as the sphere burst. "You're using too much energy, Rustfur. The sphere expanded too fast. If you want to expand it that fast, you'll need to make the sphere sturdier. Once you're able to do that, you'll have it mastered."

His head slightly throbbing, Rustfur smiled at Swiftclaw. "I didn't know it was that easy; all I had to do was imagine whatever I wanted it to do."

"That's really all you have to do with psychic powers." Swiftclaw smiled back. "Now it's just a matter of practice."

"All right, that's good to hear." Rustfur winced a little. "But I'm done for today."

"I'll say you are." Swiftclaw laughed. "You put in a good effort today. Let's go see how Sapphire is doing."

"Okay." the young Espeon responded. "Swiftclaw? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you go through all those steps when you use Reflect?"

"No, I'm experienced enough to not need to. I'm able to form the barrier when and where I need it, and, soon enough, so will you. Those steps are so you can get used to the amount of energy you need to use, and how to manipulate it."

"Now I just need practice."

"Exactly."

"I know what I'll be doing tomorrow." Rustfur joked. "Hey, Ravenpaw. Where are you going?"

"To get something to eat for your dad and myself." the Umbreon answered, stopping front of Rustfur.

"Where is my dad?" Rustfur swallowed, fear rising in the back of his mind.

"He's still with Sapphire." Ravenpaw told him.

_Oh no..._ Rustfur pushed past Ravenpaw and shot off, sprinting through the trees. Leafpool and Swiftclaw broke into a run after him.

"Dad! Is Sapphire okay?" Rustfur frantically shouted.

"Nothing's changed; she's still unconscious." Fireheart sadly informed his son.

_Sapphire, please say something..._

_Okay, what do you want me to say?_

Rustfur's eyes shot open. _Sapphire? But you're unconscious... How are you talking with me?_ he thought, staring at Sapphire's unconscious form.

_Honestly, I don't know. i can hear you perfectly fine, and apparently you can hear me fine._

_Are you in any pain?_ Rustfur was angry with himself for not asking sooner.

_No, not at all. I feel fine._

_Something's wrong though._

"Rustfur? Are you okay?"

The Espeon was so focused on his telepathic conversation with Sapphire that he almost shouted with surprise when his mother called him.

"Rustfur, why are you staring at her?" Leafpool asked.

"We're trying to figure out why she still unconscious."

"We?" Fireheart repeated.

"Sapphire and myself. We're talking through some kind of psychic connection."

A look of surprise crossed Swiftclaw's face. "You mean like you can hear her thoughts and vice versa?"

"Yeah."

"So she's, in essence, half-conscious." Swiftclaw surmised. "So why isn't she up and about?"

"I might have figured it out." Ravenpaw padded up behind Rustfur. "Leafpool, you need solar energy to stay healthy, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"I thought so. You see, Sapphire is a Leafeon as well, and, as such, also requires solar energy. When the radiation in her jumped, it essentially fooled her body into thinking it's night. But because she's still getting some sunlight, her mind is working, but as a result of her body thinking it's nighttime, she can't control it. We'd need to give her additional solar energy, like Sunny Day."

Rustfur's ears stood up when he heard this. He blocked the flow of energy from the gem on his forehead. This time he knew how fast it would build up, and released it smoothly.

Fireheart and Ravenpaw watched as the sun intensified. The rays falling on Sapphire slowly brought her around. She blinked and sat up. "Whew, what happened?"

"The radiation in your body spiked." Ravenpaw explained.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

A sniff caught Sapphire's attention and she turned to the source of it. "Rustfur? Are you crying? What's wrong?"

Rustfur was indeed crying, and a fat teardrop could be seen rolling down each of his cheeks. He sniffed again, but didn't answer. Sapphire got up and softly brushed the tears away with her broad tail. "Come on, what's wrong?"

Rustfur's shoulders shook as he quietly replied. "I-I haven't told you this, b-but I look up to you, and seeing you so helpless, i-it w-was..." Rustfur couldn't finish, as tears were running afresh from his gentle violet eyes.

Sapphire was surprised when Rustfur turned and pressed his head into the soft sand-colored fur on her chest. Instinctively, without her realizing, Sapphire lightly placed her head on Rustfur's. I didn't know you felt that way, Rustfur..."

He pulled back and stared into her eyes. "All that matters now is that you're okay."

Neither of the young Pokemon knew why the energy in Sapphire had increased so suddenly, nor did they know what it foretold.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

One reason that I started writing this was because I wanted to put more thought  
into what a Pokemon has to do to execute an attack. Brief Author's Notes FTW.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	30. Chapter 29: I Trusted You

When Rustfur woke up, the trees were still under the blanket of night. The only illumination was a low blue glow. The dim light pervaded the forest with an eerie atmosphere. Rustfur was looking around, waiting for his eyes to adjust, when a piercing scream shattered the silence. He almost jumped out of his fur before realizing what it was. "Sapphire!" Wildly, he spun around, frantically looking for the blue-eyed Leafeon. Again he called into the dark forest. "Sapphire!"

The only reply was another scream. This time Rustfur knew for sure it was Sapphire. It tore right through his heart. He still was unable to see or scent Sapphire. Of course, he could hear her, but the pain-filled cries weren't coming from any specific direction. "Sapphire! Where are you!?"

This time he didn't wait for an answer and tore into the forest. Another cry rang out, this time louder. Rustfur guessed he was getting closer. As he slid around a tree, the blue glow intensified and seemed to be coming from the ground. Suddenly, Rustfur saw the source of the dim light. "Sapphire!" He was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong?"

The Leafeon was unable to answer, as she was shaking terribly. A light blue glow was radiating from her trembling body. "Come on, Sapphire. What's wrong?" She didn't answer, but weakly turned her head towards him. Rustfur almost choked at the sight. Her normally bright azure eyes were clouded over with intense pain. Rustfur looked to the night sky, as if seeking help. That's when he saw it. The full moon hung high in the sky, as blue as a cloudless morning sky.

Rustfur recalled his conversation with Gemini. _She will be affected by a blue moon._ Rustfur stared in shock at Sapphire. "No...not now..."

The next thing he remembered was being shaken by a gentle paw. "Rustfur? Are you all right?"

He blinked repeatedly against the morning sun. "Huh?"

"You were tossing and turning like something was after you. Are you okay?" Sapphire repeated.

"I-it's nothing." he shakily answered, startled by what he'd seen. _That was just a dream?_ For an instant he was relieved. Then he remembered he could see future events.

Sapphire tipped her head to the side and stared at Rustfur. He was vacantly staring off into space. Sapphire waved her tail in front of his blank gaze. "Hello? Rustfur? Are you sure you're all right?"

"Huh?"

"You're acting really strange this morning. You okay?" Sapphire's voice was gentle and patient. "Was it a nightmare?"

"I suppose you could call it that."

"Well, what was it about?"

Rustfur has wished she hadn't asked that, because he didn't want to worry her. "Nothing..." he muttered, looking down.

"Rustfur..." Sapphire sighed. "You and I both know that's not true. Now what was your dream about?"

"I don't want to say..." he answered, avoiding her eyes.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It was that bad? Bad enough that you won't tell me?"

Rustfur nodded, still avoiding her gaze.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. Come on, cheer up." Sapphire butted him on the shoulder playfully, nearly knocking him off balance. "Come on, you won't feel any better until you stop thinking about it. Maybe some food will get you mind off it. Let's go find something to eat."

"Okay..." Rustfur slowly stood up and walked after her, completely silent. _That was a dream? Then I'll have to endure seeing it sometime in the future_ all _over again. I don't know if I can take that again. Hopefully it_ was _just a nightmare..._ he said to himself. Lost in his thoughts as he was, he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. "Ouch!"

He sat down hard in the short grass, blinking to clear his vision. "Now you're worrying me, Rustfur." Sapphire helped him up, her cerulean eyes radiating concern. "You're completely out of it... Is it still that dream?"

The Espeon nodded blankly, barely hearing her. "Then stop thinking about it, Rustfur!"

_I wish I could..._ Rustfur thought, forgetting Sapphire shared his thoughts. _But it was so realistic, and you were in so much pain. All because of the blue moon..._

"Blue moon? Pain? Rustfur, what did you see?"

Rustfur bit his lip, desperately wishing he could take back his thoughts.

"Well?" Sapphire demanded, fighting to restrain her fiery temper. "Rustfur, tell me!"

"I-I don't want to..."

"Rustfur!" Sapphire's blue eyes flared and Rustfur flinched against the tree he had stumbled into. "Rustfur! Tell me!"

The anger in her eyes was replaced by fear as Rustfur related his dream to her. "I didn't want to tell you that because I didn't want you to worry."

"N-no...I'm going to be affected by the same condition that killed my own mother!? Now it might kill me! No, no, no!"

"Sapphire! Stop!" Rustfur snapped, in a volume that surprised him. "You're going to be fine. If there's a stronger Pokemon that you, I don't know them. Besides, when that night comes, I'll be with you the whole night. That's a promise."

"O-okay..." Sapphire stammered, staring at her trembling paws. She then turned an almost sad look toward Rustfur. "Were you going to tell me you knew about this after it happened?"

Rustfur found it _extremely_ hard to answer or meet her eyes. Finally, looking down, he murmured, "No..."

Sapphire was stunned by this. "So you were going to lie to me? Rustfur..."

"Sapphire, I-"

"Why would you do that, Rustfur? You don't have to hide anything from me, you should know that..." Sapphire looked away, but not before Rustfur saw a tear in each beautiful blue eye.

"Sapphire, don't cry..." He stepped forward and brushed his nose against her tear-wettened cheek. She did something he had never expected her to do; she pulled away from his touch, leaving him standing by himself, dumbfounded. "S-Sapphire?" Again he stepped forward, and again Sapphire pulled away. Rustfur saw from how she was trembling that this wasn't any easier for her.

She looked up at Rustfur, tears freely falling from her eyes. But behind those tears, however, was a look of fierce determination. "Rustfur, I still love you, and nothing will _ever_ change that. But you didn't tell me the truth, and now you'll have to earn my trust again."

"Sapphire, I didn't-"

"You were _going_ to lie to me, and that's no better. Like I said, you'll have to earn my trust back." She spun around and walked off.

Rustfur took a step after her, but her voice stopped him. Still looking forward, she called back at him: "Rustfur, don't follow me. I need some time alone."

The Espeon stood watching her disappear amidst the trees, too shocked to say anything. Slowly, painfully, he turned and padded back to the temporary camp, paws dragging. He had seen Sapphire's orphaned, untrusting side resurface when she had looked at him.

_Alone..._

That single word hurt Rustfur more than any blow or attack from another Pokemon. In the distance he heard a low thud and instinctively knew that it was Sapphire knocking down a tree for training. Looking up, he realized he had wandered back into camp. Frostpelt, who had kept watch with Swiftclaw, spotted him coming back.

"Hey, Rustfur. Where's Sapphire?"

Rustfur answered, but didn't look up. "Training." The young Espeon went back to where he and Sapphire had slept. He'd just closed his eyes when his mother's gentle tone caused him to open them again.

"Rustfur? Where's Sapphire? Is she okay?"

"Mom, I just want to be left alone right now."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Not now, Mom..." Rustfur muttered.

"Rustfur, what's wron-"

"Mom! Leave me alone!" he snapped.

Leafpool recoiled at her son's harsh tone. However, her instinct told her exactly what was wrong. "Okay," she relented, "I'll leave you be." She turned and went back to Fireheart, but not before softly licking Rustfur between his ears.

By the time she reached him, her Flareon mate had awoken. He rolled over and sat up, blinking. "Good morning, Leafpool." Here he saw the look on her face. "What's the matter?"

Leafpool cast a glance back toward Rustfur as she answered. "I think Rustfur had a fight with Sapphire."

"About what?" Fireheart asked.

"I don't know." she regretfully told him.

"Let me see if I can find out why."

A gentle but strong paw poked Rustfur in the shoulder. "Rustfur? Are you awake?"

"Well, Dad, I wasn't asleep to start with. What do you want?"

"Is everything okay between you and Sapphire?"

Rustfur stubbornly rolled over and put his back to his father. "I don't want to talk about it..."

"Rustfur, you won't feel any better until you talk about it. Now, what's the matter?"

The young Espeon stubbornly remained silent, but could feel tears coming to his eyes.

Fireheart nosed his son in the back. "Come on, get up."

"Why?"

"Lets go find some breakfast. You'll feel better if you get up and get moving around. Come on." Fireheart nudged Rustfur in the back again, this time harder.

"Fine." Rustfur sullenly got up and followed his father out into the forest. As the left, by chance, they passed Sapphire, who was coming back from training.

"Morning, Sapphire." Fireheart said with a smile.

The blue-eyed Leafeon returned his greeting with a smile and a friendly nod. Rustfur met her gaze for a split-second, then looked down.

Sapphire continued past them and when the two Pokemon were far enough away, she broke down sobbing. "I-I can't d-do t-this... Rustfur is the only one that e-ever l-loved me... How can I f-fix this? I would rather endure twenty blue moons than see Rustfur in this kind of pain..."

"So, Rustfur, what's the matter?" Fireheart urged, pushing several berries towards his son.

"Wait, were you there when Ravenpaw was affected by a blue moon?"

"Yes, I remember that night, unfortunately. Why?"

"Because Sapphire will be affected by it, too. I saw her being hurt by it in a dream." Rustfur explained.

"If it was just a dream, what's the matter?"

"I can sometimes see into the future in my dreams. Sapphire found out that I wasn't going to tell her that I knew about it after it happened. That led to the fact that I was hiding it from her."

"You were lying to her!? Rustfur, your mother and I raised you better than that! Why would you-"

"Dad! I was hiding it because I wanted to protect her! I didn't want her to worry _every_ single night until it actually happened!"

"That still doesn't mean you should lie!"

"No one understands why I did it!" Rustfur shouted. "I did it because I love her!" Furious, Rustfur spun around and shot into the forest.

It took Fireheart a moment to realize that Rustfur had bolted off. "Rustfur! Get back here!"

The Espeon ignored his father and kept running. A female voice halted him instantly.

"Swiftclaw!"

A rustling to his left drew his attention. No sooner had he looked than a blue form slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. "Wha-"

A sleek Vaporeon was standing over him, gazing at him like he had seen Sapphire do. "You're smaller than I remember, Swiftclaw." She paused and stared at Rustfur, noting his clueless expression. "Don't you recognize me? Swiftclaw, it's me-"

Suddenly Rustfur knew who this was. "Rayne?"

"There you go!"

"But I'm not-"

"Get off him!"

The Vaporeon looked up. "Huh?"

Fireheart came skidding up. "Get off him!"

The female Vaporeon showed no fear of the older and stronger Flareon. "Are you his father?"

"Yes, I am. Now let him up!"

Surprisingly, she nodded politely and let the young Espeon rise. Rustfur shrank away from Rayne and huddled against his father.

"Swiftclaw? What's the matter?" she asked.

"This isn't Swiftclaw." Fireheart explained. "This is my son, Rustfur. Swiftclaw is my brother."

"He is? How has he been?"

"Slow down. First off, who are you? Second, how do you know Swiftclaw?" Fireheart asked her.

"Sorry. My name is Rayne. I know your brother, Swiftclaw, from when we were in love with each other. Sorry I didn't explain that sooner." She looked at Rustfur. "And I'm sorry I took you to be Swiftclaw, Rustfur."

"I-it's all right..." Rustfur assured her. _Rayne seems really nice. Why would Swiftclaw have wanted to leave her?_

"Rayne, is it?" Fireheart caught her attention.

"Yes?"

"Do you have a Trainer?"

"No, why?"

"If you're not heading anywhere or doing anything, I'm sure Swiftclaw wouldn't mind seeing you again."

Rayne's face lit up when Fireheart mentioned Swiftclaw. "Swiftclaw's out here? Where!?"

"Calm down." Fireheart laughed. "Follow me."

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Over on deviantArt, this chapter and the chapter after it had a _loooong_ gap between  
them, due to life getting in the way. Lucky for you, you guys don't have to wait for that.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	31. Chapter 30: Hidden Feelings

Rayne could hardly contain herself as she followed Fireheart back to the makeshift camp.

Frostpelt caught sight of the trio as they came back. "Hey, Fireheart, who's your friend?"

Before the Flareon could introduce her, Rayne had taken off for the bundle of lavender fur sleeping in the shade of a tree.

"Swiftclaw!"

The Espeon rose his head sleepily. "Huh?" He came fully awake when he saw the Vaporeon racing towards him. "R-Rayne?" Swiftclaw sat there, awestruck, until Rayne tackled him. "Oof! W-what are you doing here?"

"I mistook your brother's son, ummm... what was his name?"

"Rustfur?"

"Thank you. I accidentally took him to be you. Anyway, his father set me straight and brought me back to see you."

By this time, Rayne had let Swiftclaw up. "But I left you. Why would you want to come back?"

"Because I love you." she giggled.

Swiftclaw had thought he would never hear that again. Blushing under his light purple fur, he murmured, "I love you, too..." Then he stepped forward and whispered into the Vaporeon's ear, "I'm sorry I left... I-I shouldn't have done that."

Rayne gently licked Swiftclaw on his cheek. "Don't worry. It's all in the past. Besides, I forgive you."

"Thank you." Swiftclaw murmured. He laid his head against Rayne's and let her comforting scent surround him.

"Well, Swiftclaw, now I see what you were doing when you left all that time ago." Fireheart came up to his younger brother, grinning. Leafpool shortly joined him.

"When you came back to the Daycare and Leafpool was with you, I guess I was a little jealous. So I left to find _myself_ a mate."

"You've made a good choice, Swiftclaw." Leafpool began. "She is a very pretty Vaporeon."

"I assume you're Leafpool, then." Rayne guessed. "Thank you, Leafpool. You're pretty too. Rustfur is lucky to have a mother as attractive as you."

Leafpool took the compliment calmly, with a slight nod. She was used to Fireheart telling her that. "Thank you, but Rustfur thinks another Pokemon is _much_ more beautiful than I am."

"Who?"

"Me."

Rayne quickly looked in the direction the voice had come from. She caught her breath at the sight of the slender young Leafeon smoothly walking towards her.

"My name is Sapphire." she answered, before Rayne even asked.

"I can see why. I don't think I've ever seen a bluer pair of eyes before." Rayne commented.

"You're not the first that's told me that." Sapphire flicked a swift glance toward Rustfur, who was sitting a short distance away.

"Swiftclaw, where's the rest of your family? You told me you had three brothers. I only see Fireheart. And what about your parents?"

"Frostpelt is right over there; he was keeping watch with me. Ravenpaw is sleeping, over that way. I don't see my parents though."

"And you left them all to be with me?"

"Rayne, I would do _anything_ to be with you. If you were in enough danger, I would _kill_ another Pokemon to protect you." Swiftclaw murmured.

Rustfur abhorred the idea of killing another Pokemon, but he knew if it came down to it, he would, without a doubt, kill another Pokemon to keep Sapphire safe. "Does Sapphire know that I would do that for her?" Rustfur muttered to himself.

"I do now."

"Eep!" Rustfur squealed and spun around. Sapphire was right behind him, smiling.

"Listen, Rustfur. I've got something to tell you. You are the only thing I have that is preventing me from being an orphan. You're the closest I've ever come to a real family. I don't just want you by my side, I _need_ you by my side. I realize now that you hid that from me because you wanted to protect me. I forgive you."

Rustfur let out a long sigh. "Thank you. But I've got something to tell you as well. Even though I was trying to protect you, it wasn't right of me to hide that from you." In a lower voice, he added, "Besides, I know you'll be my mate one day, and if that's going to work, I can't hide _anything_ from you."

Both of them looked up when Rayne gave a slight giggle. "I was going to ask Leafpool if you two were siblings, but now I can tell that you aren't."

"They might as well be." Leafpool put in. "They always know how the other is feeling, but that comes from being born on the same day. I know what that's like."

"So I take it you have a twin then, Leafpool?" Rayne inquired.

"Yes, that's right. His name is Cinder."

"Where is he?"

Leafpool looked around quickly before answering. "He's that great lump of golden fur asleep over there."

Leafpool trotted and prodded her brother in his powerful shoulder. "Come on, lazy. Get up. Someone wants to meet you."

"Mmmf... All right, fine." he muttered, sitting up. "Who is it?" He blinked to clear his vision.

"Hello, Cinder."

Rayne's soft voice immediately and completely woke Cinder up. He looked up rapidly and swallowed. His heartbeat sped up as the Vaporeon approached him. "H-h-hello..." he stammered. "W-what's y-your n-n-name?"

"Her name is Rayne." Swiftclaw answered, joining her.

"H-hi, R-Rayne..." Cinder was devastated; the way Swiftclaw was staring at Rayne meant one thing, and one thing only. He already loved her.

Rayne saw his expression and replied. "Don't worry, Cinder. _I_ have a twin sister, too. Brooke, it's all right; you can come out!"

Rustfur glanced at Sapphire. "Can you detect any other Pokemon?"

The Leafeon shook her head. "No, I can't."

Just then, another Vaporeon slipped out of the undergrowth, forestalling any further conversation. Cinder's back was to her, so he didn't see her right away.

"So, you're Cinder?"

The golden Flareon turned at the sweet tone. He almost fainted when he saw who the voice belonged to. Rayne's twin was even more beautiful than she was.

"Y-you're b-beautiful..."

"T-thank you, Cinder..." Brooke recoiled slightly.

Suddenly Cinder regained the use of proper speech. "I'm sorry. It's just that my mother was a Vaporeon, and she died when I was very young, and every female Vaporeon I see reminds me of her."

"Oh..." Brooke edged within tail's-reach of Cinder. Gently, nervously, she brushed her tail over his shoulders, feeling the strength in them. "W-wow, you're strong..." she murmured shyly.

"Good job, Cinder." Rayne winked at him. "Brooke is _very_ shy and doesn't make friends easily. But it looks like she's taken a liking to you, and you to her."

"Really?" Cinder asked, bewildered that Rayne thought that.

Just then, Rustfur and Sapphire padded up to Brooke. "Where were you hiding a moment ago?" Sapphire asked.

Brooke drew up against Cinder, away from the young Pokemon, "U-umm... I-I was hiding in a small pond..." she whispered.

"I didn't know there were any bodies of water around here." Sapphire responded.

"I-it's right over there..." Brooke nodded in the direction she had come from.

"Well, Cinder. There's your answer. I haven't seen Brooke huddle that close to any other Pokemon other than myself. She trusts you, _and_ likes you, too." Rayne giggled.

Brooke flashed a quick glance at her twin sister. "Come on, Rayne. You don't even know if Cinder feels that way about me."

"Brooke, don't even try that. Look at Cinder, he's head over paws for you. You remember how Swiftclaw looked at me."

_Does he really?_ Brooke looked up at the Flareon.

Cinder stared back, lost in her sky-blue eyes. He'd never felt this way before. His stomach was spinning like he'd eaten a complete bush of berries. _I've never felt this way about another Pokemon. She's so beautiful, it-it's like looking at my mother... I've just met her, and I already love her..._ he thought uncomfortably.

_I wonder if Rayne is right about Cinder... She's right about me, I do love him; there's something about him that makes me always want to be with him._

Leafpool looked at her brother and thought, _There's no question, Brooke loves him. That's how I looked at Fireheart._

Despite the happy atmosphere, Fireheart was worried. "Where are Mom and Dad?" He padded over to his Glaceon brother and caught his attention. "Frostpelt, did Mom and Dad leave while you were on watch?"

"What was that? Oh, yeah, they did, like they usually do. Why do you ask?"

"Because they still aren't back."

"Now that you mention it, you're right. I wonder why?"

"If I knew, I would tell you." Fireheart sighed. "Quick, get Ravenpaw up. We're going to look."

Swiftclaw knew something was up. "Fireheart's right. Mom and Dad aren't usually gone this long. Something's wrong. Rayne, stay here."

"No. I'm coming."

"Rayne..."

"Swiftclaw, I'm coming." she argued.

"Fine."

In almost no time, Ravenpaw was up. Leafpool went off with Fireheart, two of his brothers, and Rayne. Ravenpaw, Rustfur, Sapphire, Cinder, and Brooke went off in another direction.

"Sapphire," Ravenpaw turned to the young Leafeon, "you do know my parents' scent, right?"

"Yeah."

"See if you can pick it up then." Ravenpaw directed.

Sapphire lifted her head and sniffed several times. "Just barely..."

"Let's keep moving then."

As they progressed, the scent definitely got stronger. "It's getting stronger." Sapphire murmured. There was also another, sharper, smell mingled with that of the Jolteon and Vaporeon. Blood. She sped up, everyone else doing the same.

"What is it, Sapphire?" Rustfur urgently inquired.

"I can smell blood..."

"Blood?" Ravenpaw snapped his head in Sapphire's direction and slowed to a jog. " Can you tell whose it is?"

"No... My sense of smell isn't _that_ good."

"Quick, Sapphire, go get Fireheart and everyone else." Ravenpaw instructed.

"Why?"

"If the blood is from my parents, then whatever they're fighting is going to be too much for the five of us. Quick. Go!"

Sapphire saw the sense in his words and turned to go after Fireheart's group. Before she bolted off, she cast a glance at Rustfur. iBe careful, Rustfur./i

_I will, don't worry._ he assured her. _Go._

She turned and took of like a rocket. No sooner had she left, than an explosion sounded nearby.

"This way! Come on!" Ravenpaw sprang forward. A very short period of time later, a Shadow Ball whistled out of the forest, buzzing right past Ravenpaw's muzzle. "Whoa!"

"That way!" Rustfur turned in the direction the shadowy sphere had come from. The sight that quickly greeted Ravenpaw shocked him. A cylindrical, metallic Pokemon with flat, wide arms was hovering a short distance away from Needlefur and Torrentpaw.

Rustfur instantly recognized the other, purple, moth-like Pokemon as a Dustox. _Well, I know who_ that _Pokemon belongs to..._

The Dustox and Bronzong were being controlled by two figures that were wearing hooded coats, so their faces were hidden.

"Mom! Dad!" Ravenpaw cried out. As he did so, one of the figures motioned to the Dustox and the Pokemon began approaching the Umbreon.

"Brooke?"

"Yes, Cinder?"

"Are you any good at fighting?"

"I-I can try..." she answered nervously.

"That'll have to do. Rustfur, stay behind Brooke. Ravenpaw, we've got some company."

"Dustox, Poison Sting!"

Cinder blinked. He knew that voice.

Ravenpaw reacted to the fast-approaching purple needles by quickly loosing a pulse of night-black energy. The Dustox rapidly ascended as the pulse knocked the needles out of the air. "Not so fast..." Ravenpaw muttered, his eyes lighting up a cool blue.

Rustfur knew what was coming; a blue aura surrounded the Dustox and grounded it forcefully, in a cloud of dust.

"A psychic user, huh?" one of the hooded figures muttered. "Bronzong, show him how to do it."

"Oh, no you don't! No Umbreon is going to get hurt as long as I can help it!"

Needlefur, who was accustomed to moving at high speeds, saw what happened perfectly. Sapphire came blazing out of the trees with Aerial Ace. She dealt two rapid, heavy blows to the Bronzong.

The five other Pokemon came bounding out of the undergrowth.

"Well, would you look at that? There's that blue-eyed Eevee." The humans pulled their hoods back. "But now, I guess it's a Leafeon."

Both Leafpool and Cinder were stunned; the two humans were Team Galactic members.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

I consider this chapter to be the weakest in _ASSIS_; in hindsight, I probably shouldn't  
have had Rustfur and Sapphire make up as fast as they did. If you agree with me there,  
then you'll definitely think what happens in _ST_'s Chapter 34 is better. Another thing for  
you to remember; Rustfur is the only thing keeping Sapphire from being an orphan.  
That will also come up in _ST_'s Chapter 34.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	32. Chapter 31: Cinders Always Burn

"Ooh, looks like we've got ourselves an even dozen."

"Eleven, because that Flareon is already ours."

Leafpool knew they weren't talking about Fireheart, but desperately hoped "that Flareon" wasn't Cinder. But, at the same time, she knew it was. _Cinder..._

Now was not the time for answers, as, one by one, nine Poke Balls took to the air. Rustfur recognized one of them; the purple frog-like Pokemon that had nearly killed his mother. Another he recognized; the pudgy, gray and white Purugly. The others were a purple bat with two sets of wings, a white, wide-pawed Pokemon, a bloated Pokemon kept afloat by foul smelling gases, a purple and cream colored skunk, a black dog-like Pokemon with intimidating red eyes, a black and purple snake with a sharp tail, and, finally, a dark-feathered bird, respectively, a Crobat, Absol, Weezing, Skuntank, Mightyena, Seviper, and Murkrow.

_We've got some work to do._ Sapphire said to Rustfur.

_We have to get our two groups together._

"Weezing, SmokeScreen!"

The bloated purple Pokemon belched out a thick green cloud of smoke the blanketed the area, surprising the Leafeon and Espeon. Rustfur coughed at the smothering fumes.

_Yuck... This is so thick, I wouldn't be able to see my paw if I stuck it in my eye._

_I know, I can't see or smell anything._

A high-pitched noise reached Sapphire's sensitive ear. She quickly distinguished what it was. Acting on a quick hunch, she jumped to the right. The Crobat dove into the stifling cloud, close enough that she felt the beat of its wings. "Try that once more, I dare you..." she muttered. "Now I'm ready." Again she heard the noise, and again the bat Pokemon dove at her. This time she skipped to the left, back to her original position, and lashed out with both her hind legs, hitting the Crobat dead-on. "Gotcha!"

_Rustfur, I've figured it out; I'm their first target. If I can get their attention, we'll clean them up much easier._

_True,_ he thought back, _but we need to get rid of this cloud first..._

_Wait... Before that, let's use it to get everyone together. Tell Ravenpaw to give off a signal by lighting up the rings on his body._

"Ravenpaw," Rustfur tapped the Umbreon with his tail, "light up the rings on your body as a signal. Get everyone else over here with us."

Ravenpaw nodded, understanding that there was power in numbers. The yellow rings adorning his sleek body lit up, emitting a steady glow.

_Okay, look around._

_There, I can see where you are now._

Sapphire turned to the five other Pokemon. "Come on, let's get to that glow. Your parents are probably halfway between us and Ravenpaw, Fireheart."

Before any movement was made, an order could be heard.

"Seviper, that yellow light, get them!"

The Pokemon hissed, half in reply, half in its own twisted sense of enjoyment, and slithered into the slowly dispersing cloud.

Rustfur heard the hissing increase in volume and saw the glow vanish. The sound of struggling told him why.

_Forget it! They saw Ravenpaw! Get Frostpelt to blow the smoke away with Blizzard._

Moments later, the smoke was whisked away by a cold blast of air. Rustfur spun around to see Ravenpaw struggling with the Seviper. Brooke and Cinder were blinking the smoke out of their watering eyes, much like he was doing now.

As they grappled, the Seviper made the mistake of looking at Ravenpaw's eyes. The Umbreon's crimson eyes flashed purple for a split-second. A glazed look fell over the Seviper's eyes and the coils around Ravenpaw slackened and fell away.

"What was that?" Rustfur asked.

Ravenpaw stood up and shook himself. "Confuse Ray. Watch."

"Seviper! Stop dancing around and Poison Fang that Umbreon!"

The Seviper's frighteningly long fangs took on a purple light and Rustfur flinched backward. Ravenpaw laughed as, instead, the confused Seviper bit its own tail.

"Heh, that's pretty funny." Sapphire commented.

Rustfur jumped a little. "How'd you get over here so quick?"

"It seems they're only using one Pokemon at a time." Needlefur added. "Why, I don't know."

"This isn't working... We need the Flareon fighting, too... Kick in the control device."

"Right." The other grunt nodded and pulled his coat sleeve up, revealing a small wristband.

Cinder immediately recognized the device. He quickly turned to Brooke, panic flashing in his eyes. "Brooke, stay away from me..."

"W-why?"

"They control me with that thing!"

"They what!?" Leafpool couldn't believe it.

Cinder wasn't listening to his sister. "Brooke, listen. Once they turn that thing on, I'm not able to control myself. Just get-"

The grunt pressed a button on the wristband. A lightning bolt cut through Cinder's mind and he grunted with pain.

"C-Cinder?" Brooke took a step towards him.

The look in his eyes when he looked up absolutely terrified her.

There was no trace of compassion in them; just an empty void.

"That's better. Flareon, get that Leafeon!"

"The rest of you get in there, too!"

Cinder spun around and glared at Sapphire. Fireheart took a step forward, but something grabbed his thickly-furred tail and pulled him back.

"Hold it." the Mightyena growled at him.

"You want to make this your fight? Fine!" Fireheart snarled, quickly shouldering the Mightyena in its chest, winding it.

Leafpool was about to help, when the Purugly shoved its way between her and Fireheart. "Looks like I didn't make those cuts deep enough; you're still alive." As it spoke, sharp claws slid smoothly into view on its front paw. "Do you want me to to claw your other leg, so it matches?"

Leafpool fell into a crouch, eyeing the Purugly. "Go for it." she challenged, her own form of attack taking shape.

Torrentpaw was occupied with defending Sapphire from Cinder's rapid, powerful bursts of flame. The Vaporeon was experienced, but then, so was Cinder. Torrentpaw's short blue fur had been singed in several places from a few close attacks.

"Flareon, take out that Vaporeon first!"

The aurous Flareon stopped throwing out repeated blasts of fire and lunged at Torrentpaw.

The Vaporeon was soon pinned to the ground; and struggle as he might, Cinder was too strong. Torrentpaw felt a wave of heat and saw a glow building up in Cinder's mouth. Reacting swiftly, the Vaporeon loosed a trio of ringed blasts of water, right into Cinder's face.

Cinder reached up to paw the water from his face, unwittingly releasing the Vaporeon. The Vaporeon swiftly rolled over and stood up. Then, with skill born from the knowledge of battle, he hooked Cinder's front right paw out from under him using his own paw, then slammed his powerful tail down on that shoulder. The clever move dropped the Flareon to the ground. But not for long. Cinder quickly hopped up, readying an Iron Tail. The only thing Torrentpaw could do was move.

_So he wants to go at it like that? All right._ Sapphire thought. Her tail lengthened and attained a green glow.

Rustfur heard her thought, looked over at her, and frantically shouted in his mind, _Sapphire, don't! He'll tear you apart!_

Rustfur knew she had heard him, but she was stubbornly ignoring him. "And she thinks _I'm_ stubborn..." he muttered under his breath. He sighed and pelted across the forest floor to assist Sapphire. As a result of the tandem efforts of Needlefur, her three other sons, Rayne, and her twin sister Brooke, many of the Pokemon fighting for Team Galactic had been recalled, and, as such, Rustfur quickly reached Cinder.

A leap carried him onto the Flareon's broad shoulders. However, no sooner had he landed, than Cinder lowered his head, and the young Espeon slipped off.

"Ouch..." Rustfur shook his head and sat up.

"Behind you!" Sapphire cried.

Rustfur stood up as quick as if he had sat on a thorn. Instinctively, he bolted forward to escape, but an extemely sharp bolt of pain flew through his left foot and up his leg. This bolt was instantly followed by a scathing burning sensation. While all this was happening, he was yanked harshly to one side. He barely noticed his landing, as the agonizing pain in his foot dulled his senses.

He could hardly hear Sapphire's cry. "Rustfur! No! Cinder, I don't want to do this, but, you're going to wish you hadn't done that!"

Leafpool heard Sapphire's threat against Cinder. "Sapphire, don't hurt-" Now she caught sight of why Sapphire had threatened Cinder. "Rustfur!!"

All fighting came to an immediate halt. "Leafpool, what happ-" Fireheart then saw the golden Flareon spitting out blood. "Cinder!" He bulled the Mightyena out of his way and flew at Cinder.

Before Sapphire could even blink, Fireheart was upon Leafpool's brother. Even with his two and a half years of fighting experience, Cinder couldn't match Fireheart's strength, fueled as it was by pure fury. "I should have killed you when you attacked Sapphire!" the older Flareon roared. "Now its come to my own son!" He grabbed the scruff of Cinder's neck and threw him. Driven on by raw anger, he ran after him, crackling white energy surrounding him. He slammed right into Cinder, smashing headlong through a tree.

Fireheart skidded to a stop, letting Cinder come to rest, none too gently, against another tree.

Sapphire watched the attack, blue eyes wide. She hadn't yet known that Fireheart was capable of that kind of ferocity. But then, Rustfur was his only son. If she ever had a son or daughter, would she protect them like that?

"Fireheart! You didn't have to do _that!_"

"Leafpool, look what he did to Rustfur!" Fireheart snapped back.

_Rustfur!_ Sapphire spun around and shot over to him. Now she saw the extent of his injury. _Oh, no..._ Sapphire quickly began to clean his wound.

"Ouch!" Rustfur flinched and looked up. "Be careful!"

"Oh, Rustfur, you're okay..." Sapphire got up and came over to help him sit up.

"It'll take more than that to finish me off..." he laughed, wincing. He glanced down at his footpaw and commented through clenched teeth, "Wow... That's worse than I thought... and it feels like it's burning up..."

"It might be burned. Let me see it."

Again Sapphire started licking Rustfur's wound. When the blood had been cleaned away, she saw it wasn't as bad as she had though. It was still bleeding a fair bit, though, and she could see a reddish hue under his short lavender coat.

"I was right; it is burned."

"Do you know what to use for it?"

"No, I don't..." Sapphire regretfully admitted. "My father never taught me those."

"This isn't going well. Recall the Flareon and let's go..."

Leafpool flicked her gaze fom the Poke Ball in the grunt's hand, to her unconscious brother, then to Fireheart's brother. "Quick, Swiftclaw, stop the beam!"

The Espeon understood instantly and nodded. The crimson recall beam halted at his barrier.

"Quick, try it again."

"Forget it. The Espeon will just put up another barrier. Let's get back to Veilstone..."

The two humans turned and disappeard back into the trees.

"Finally..." Frostpelt breathed, several crimson scratches showing over his blue fur.

Fireheart shook himself and swiftly padded over to his son. "How's your foot?"

"I think it's burned." Sapphire answered. "Do you know what to use for it?"

The Flareon nodded. "Rawst berries. I'll go see if I can find some."

"Be careful. We don't know if there are any more of them out here." Leafpool came up beside her mate.

"I will." he assured her. "Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, come on. We need some Rawst berries for Rustfur's injury. And maybe some Oran or Sitrus berries to bring Cinder around. I hit him a little hard."

"C-Cinder... A-are you okay?" Brooke slowly walked up to Cinder's unconscious form and cautiously nosed his powerful shoulder. Nothing.

Leafpool was inspecting the bite on her son's paw. "It looks like it should heal well."

"Good. Because it _really_ hurts." Rustfur squeezed his eyes shut against the pain.

"Torrentpaw, come over here." Leafpool called. "Help me cool Rustfur's injury down."

"All right."

_Come on, Dad. Hurry up._ Rustfur thought. The burning sensation seemed to get stronger as he waited for his father to return. However, when he felt Sapphire's soft touch against his side, the pain melted away. He turned and gently touched his nose to her cheek. "Thanks."

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

_That's _why Cinder listened to Team Galactic when they pushed him to fight. Nothing  
more to say.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	33. Chapter 32: Bitter Aftermath

Rustfur stared awkwardly at the speckled blue-gray berries sitting on the ground in front of him.

"Do I have to eat all of them?" He sniffed one and recoiled, sticking his tongue out.

"No," Needlefur answered. "Just one. The other needs to be chewed and actually set on the wound. I'll do that." she finished. "Go ahead and eat one, Rustfur."

The young Espeon made no move to eat the berry, but merely pushed it around with his forepaw.

"Come on, Rustfur." Sapphire gently urged. "The sooner you eat it, the sooner your foot will feel better."

Slowly, he bent down and took a bite. Accustomed to sweet berries as he was, the sharp, bitter taste of this berry was a shock. With a good deal of effort, he swallowed the bitter mouthful and finished the berry. A cold wave flooded through him for an instant, neutralizing the burning sensation.

"There, done." Needlefur said, standing up.

"Wow! It feels as good as new."

"Right now, it's far from that." the Jolteon corrected. "If it was any deeper, you would've had to live with this wound for the rest of your life."

"Still, it feels great."

"How did you learn to do that?" Sapphire asked.

Needlefur laughed and smiled. "When you have a Flareon for a son, you learn to treat burns very quickly."

Both Rustfur and Sapphire laughed at this remark. "I guess you would." Sapphire giggled.

"Unhh..." Cinder groaned as the Sitrus berries took effect. The first thing he saw was Fireheart glaring at him. "What happened?"

"Why don't you ask your sister?" Fireheart snapped. "Or maybe my son?" he angrily added, bringing his face to within an inch of Cinder's.

"Fireheart, ease up." Leafpool called to the irate Flareon.

"Why? He didn't take it easy on Rustfur!"

"What did I do?"

"Look for yourself." Fireheart stepped to the side, letting Cinder see past him.

Rustfur was watching him, an unreadable expression in his violet eyes. He didn't look there for long, as his gaze fell to the blood on the Espeon's foot. "I did that? Rustfur... I didn't mean to..."

"That doesn't change the fact that you actually did it." Leafpool calmly answered.

Regardless of his mother's tone, Rustfur could tell she wasn't as calm as she showed.

"But, Leafpool, I wasn't myself..." Cinder protested.

"I'll say..." Fireheart muttered.

Leafpool shot a quick glance at her mate. "Fireheart, stop it." She looked back at Cinder, barely holding back tears. "Why didn't you tell me Team Galactic trained you?"

"I was never told; I had no idea, until today."

"What about that thing they used to control you? Don't tell me you just forgot about that!"

"Two and a half years ago, I thought you were dead, Leafpool. When I found that I was wrong, I was so happy, I forgot about everything else."

"You probably knew several of the Pokemon we just fought, didn't you?" Leafpool asked. Before he could answer, she went on. "Cinder, you're a part of the team that almost killed me!"

"B-but I thought they just injured your leg..."

"No, they didn't. They nearly took Rustfur, apparently mistaking him for Sapphire. Now they've tried taking Sapphire. Thankfully, they didn't, but look what happened as a result." A swift look at her son proved her point. "Cinder," she slowly began, the words catching in her throat, "I... don't want you to keep following us."

Rustfur's ears twitched when he heard this. "Did she really just say that?" he asked Sapphire. She nodded in response as Leafpool continued.

"I can only assume that they'll try again and again to get Sapphire. If you're with us, it only increases the chance that someone will be hurt, or worse. If that happened, I could _never_ forgive you, especially if it was Fireheart, Rustfur, or Sapphire. That's why I want you to leave, Cinder. For everyone's safety."

"Leafpool, I-"

"I'm only doing this because you're my brother and I love you. Leave."

"I-"

"Leave!"

Rustfur flinched at his mother's tone. She had never spoken to another Pokemon like that, much less her brother. Rustfur saw the dismay in Cinder's eyes before the Flareon slowly turned away.

There was complete silence as Cinder walked off, head hung, into the forest. He looked up hopefully as he passed Brooke, but after meeting his gaze for an instant, she looked away. "Okay then, it's probably better that I live on my own... That way I won't be able to hurt any other Pokemon." the Flareon sniffed. He cast one more glance back at Brooke. _I knew it was too good to be true..._

Shortly thereafter, he finally disappeared among the trees.

"Brooke, what's wrong?" Rayne turned to her sister. She was shaking and sniffing. Then Rayne saw several teardrops fall to the ground.

"H-he's leaving..." she sobbed.

"Then go with him." Rayne said.

"But I don't want to leave you... You're my only family... Besides, what if those people come back?"

"So what if they do?"

Brooke stopped sniffing and looked up. Sapphire had come and sat in front of her.

"If you really love him, you'll go with him and stay with him, whatever happens. He'll take care of you." Sapphire assured her.

"R-really?" she sniffed.

"Trust me. I saw how he looked at you. I know that look; Rustfur has given me it several times." Sapphire looked over at the Espeon sitting some distance away; his injury would not yet let him walk around. Then she turned back to Brooke. "Go, before he gets too far away."

The Vaporeon looked as if she were about to act on that advice, but she hesitated.

"Go. Those idiots will leave you and Cinder alone. They're after me, not him. Go."

That seemed to convince the Vaporeon. "Cinder!"

He stopped dead still and turned around. "Huh?"

"Cinder, I want to come with you!"

"Brooke, no... If you come with me, you'll be in a lot of danger."

"If I _don't_ go with you now, I'll spend the rest of my life asking myself if we would have had a future together."

"But what if you die because you come with me?"

Cinder saw determination flash in her eyes as she answered, "I'd rather go with you, love you today, die tomorrow, than wake up here without you."

"Wow..." Cinder breathlessly responded. "You really mean it, don't you?" After she nodded, he went on. "Okay, you can come, I'll need someone to keep me company."

Brooke glanced at Sapphire and murmured, "Thank you, Sapphire."

The Leafeon smiled and gave a slight nod." Rustfur taught me all I know about loving another Pokemon."

"Good luck, Brooke." Rayne came forward to stand beside her sister. "I'll miss you, but you'll be happy with Cinder." Then, with a glint of humor in her eyes, she shot a look at Cinder. "Take care of her, because if you don't, I _will_ find you."

"Don't worry, I will." Cinder caught the gleam in her eyes and laughed.

"I guess this is goodbye then, Rayne." Brooke sadly said, nuzzling her sister.

"Don't be ridiculous, Brooke. We'll see each other again."

"How will I find you?"

"Find Swiftclaw." Rayne giggled.

"All right, fine. Come on, Cinder, let's go."

"Okay." Cinder replied. "Goodbye, Leafpool!" he called, feeling much better.

The only acknowledgment he received was the slightest twitch of her ear.

Sapphire returned to Rustfur's side, and together they watched the two Pokemon gradually disappear amongst the trees.

"I'll miss having Cinder around." Rustfur sighed. "I was getting used to him being here."

"But, look at-"

"I know, I know. Look at how he protected us from J, though. If he had been aware of what he was doing, he wouldn't have hurt me. If you want to start throwing blame around, blame those Team Galactic idiots for using that device, or J for even catching Cinder for them."

"Now, hold on." Sapphire slid her broad tail under his chin and drew Rustfur's head around to look at her. "If J hadn't caught Cinder, your mom might not have met your dad, and I might not have met you." she softly pointed out.

Rustfur smiled. "True. It looks like J's not all bad."

"If we ever see her again, we'll have to thank her." Sapphire grinned mischievously.

Rustfur silently laughed to himself. "Of course; it would be the polite thing to do." For no real reason, he looked up and saw the sun hung high in the sky. He then remembered that the last thing he'd eaten was the bitter Rawst berry, and it hadn't been very satisfying. "Ugh, I'm starving..."

"I take it you didn't care for the Rawst berry?"

Rustfur playfully narrowed his eyes at Sapphire. "Did it look like I did?"

"No," Sapphire giggled. "it didn't. Do you want me to go find you some different berries?"

"Yeah, I'll come, too."

"Oh no you won't." Sapphire placed her tail across his shoulders and gently sat him back down. "You'll stay right there."

Rustfur lightly licked Sapphire on the cheek. "All right, fine, I will. But have Needlefur go with you."

"Okay." Sapphire padded over to the Jolteon. "Hey, Needlefur?"

"Yes?"

"Would you come with me to get something to eat?"

"Of course. I haven't eaten anything today. Let's go."

Sapphire followed Needlefur into the trees, but before she got too far, the Leafeon looked over her shoulder. _I love you_ so _much, Rustfur._

_I love you too. Be careful._

_I will._

Rustfur watched the Leafeon vanish into the trees. He then knew that whatever happened to him, as long as Sapphire loved him, he would be happy.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

If anyone has noticed this yet, my chapter titles often turn out to have two meanings,  
and oftentimes can be a little cheesy.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	34. Chapter 33: Would You Come With Me?

Sapphire sniffed the warm midday air, then turned to Needlefur. "You like sweet berries, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"There's some over that way." Sapphire nodded in the direction she smelled the berries.

"Really?" Needlefur quickly sniffed the still air. "I can't smell anything sweet."

"Follow me, and I'll show you."

A reasonably long walk proved Sapphire right. The familiar pink shade of Pecha berries greeted them as they came around a tree.

"There you go." Sapphire said triumphantly.

"You were right, I'll give you that." Needlefur commented. "So, how do you want them?"

"What do you mean?" Sapphire tipped her head to one side.

Needlefur answered by throwing a weak bolt of electricity at a single berry. It dropped to the ground, slightly blackened and smoking a little. "Try it." the Jolteon offered. "Careful, though, it's still a little warm."

Sapphire curiously took a bite of the lightly toasted berry. It was slightly crispy on the outside, but warm and soft inside. "Wow! That's really good!"

"I know." Needlefur agreed. "That's how I like mine, too." She repeated the process, and six more berries fell to the ground; four for herself and two more for Sapphire. "Eat up." Needlefur told her, already working on a mouthful.

The young Leafeon needed no further bidding. As the two Pokemon ate, Needlefur spoke up. "So, Sapphire, you still haven't told me where you learned how to fight so well."

Sapphire swallowed before responding. "For the past month, I've taught myself, but before that it was my father that taught me. Sometimes I'd lose my temper with him, because I never had a mother to show me how to be patient." She sniffed slightly as she finished. "But," she whispered, "Rustfur has taught me that, and a lot more."

"If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your mother?"

"No, I don't mind. I've told Rustfur, and it isn't as hard to talk about it. As I was being born, there was a blue moon in the sky. It couldn't have come at a worse time. Right after I was born, she p-passed away... Now I'll be affected by the same condition."

Needlefur paused in mid-bite. "What? Why?"

"The energy from the blue moon is inside me; that's why my eyes are blue. It also makes me similar to an Umbreon. Ravenpaw went through the same thing, right?"

"Yes, he did." Needlefur answered. "About two years ago."

"How long did it last?"

"Only during the night."

"Good. At least it won't last _too_ long." Sapphire muttered.

"How do you even know you'll see another blue moon?"

Sapphire went on to explain that Rustfur could sometimes see the future and what he had seen.

"Do you know when it's going to happen?"

"I have no idea." Sapphire admitted, taking another bite. "But when it does happen, Rustfur will be there with me."

"You're lucky to have a Pokemon like Rustfur, and he you." Needlefur gently pointed out.

"I know." Sapphire replied, blushing a little. "Speaking of him, he's probably wondering where we are. Let's finish up."

A short time later, they had finished eating and were headed back with Sapphire carrying three Pecha berries in her mouth.

Rustfur was dozing off when something landed in front of his nose. Instinctively, he sniffed it.

"C'mon, Rusty." Sapphire giggled. "Wake up."

"Rusty?" he murmured, half-asleep.

"I thought you were starving." she said, a hint of humor in her voice.

The Espeon slowly sat up, taking care not to aggravate his foot. By now, it had almost stopped bleeding, as Swiftclaw had found some cobwebs to help slow the blood flow. He shook his head and blinked against the bright sun. "What'd you call me? Rusty?" he asked Sapphire.

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"I think it's cute..." she shyly answered, shuffling her paws and blushing lightly. "Do you like it?"

"As far as I'm concerned," he whispered into her ear, "you can call me whatever you want."

"I thought you would like it." she said, looking up.

"Now I'll need to find a nickname for you." Rustfur replied jokingly.

"In any case, we found you something to eat." Sapphire pushed the three berries closer to him. "Here, I've already eaten."

"Thanks." Rustfur crouched down and began eating. Sapphire watched him for a little bit, then let her eyes slowly sweep over the other Pokemon. Most of Rustfur's relatives were either asleep or close to it, resting from the battle with Team Galactic. Her gaze fell on Needlefur, who was speaking to her Vaporeon mate. Now and again, Sapphire's ears could pick up little bits of conversation.

"I knew it! We've been going the wrong way! Team Galactic is set up in Veilstone City!"

"How could we have known that they would station themselves in their previous headquarters? It's a rather stupid idea."

"But we fell for it!" Needlefur exclaimed. "We have to turn around."

"Well, we're not going anywhere with Rustfur's foot in the condition it's in now."

"That's true... Though, it might be about... a week to a week and a half before it's fit enough for any serious traveling."

"That long!? I guess there's nothing for it. We'll just have to wait." Torrentpaw decided. "I suppose we'll have to get used to this area then."

"If we're not going anywhere for a while, we could afford to have three of us keep watch."

"Good idea. I'll ask Fireheart if he'll keep watch with us tonight. Besides, Leafpool might need some time alone. That was a pretty shocking secret she found out about." the Vaporeon suggested, padding off to speak with his eldest son.

Now Rustfur had finished eating and sat back up. Sapphire turned to him and related what she had overheard.

"So, looks like we're going to be staying here for a while, huh?" he responded. "Oh well, it might actually let me do some training."

"You know, I _still_ haven't seen you train yet." Sapphire teased, her blue eyes sparkling with laughter.

"We'll change that tomorrow." Rustfur promised, gently licking the curled leaf on his companion's forehead. "But, until then, what should we do?"

Sapphire looked around for something to do, and her deep blue eyes fell on the sleeping, curled-up forms of Swiftclaw and Rayne. "It looks like they have the right idea..." she observed, suddenly sounding very sleepy. Shortly after, she yawned widely and blinked several times.

"I see where you're going with this." Rustfur yawned. He lay down and pulled his tail across his nose. A warm touch against his back told him that Sapphire had joined him. She softly laid her broad tail across him. He fell asleep in this position, with Sapphire's scent lingering in his nostrils.

When he came around again it was dark, and at first he thought he was dreaming. But after looking about, he saw his father and his parents softly silhouetted against the darker background of the forest. Sapphire's tail still lay across his back and she was still asleep, her chest steadily rising and falling. The Espeon wasn't about to move and disturb his beautiful companion. Instead he lay there, watching her, his eyes violet eyes soft. Here was his whole reason for living, sleeping softly next to him.

"Is she still asleep?"

Rustfur looked up at the whisper. His father was silently padding up to him. "Yes, she is." the Espeon murmured, tenderly looking at her.

"I'm not surprised. She had a full day. And her morning started off a little rough." Fireheart threw a glance at his son.

It took Rustfur a moment to understand his father. That argument he'd had with Sapphire was only that morning? It sure didn't feel like it. Suddenly Rustfur thought of something he hadn't before.

"Dad? What if Sapphire doesn't want a Trainer?"

"What do you mean?"

"She was born wild." Rustfur explained. "What if she doesn't want to come with us when we get back to the Daycare?"

"If you're worried or not about whether or not Eric will take her in, don't worry, he will. He's been my Trainer for four years. Besides, he took in your mother, right?"

"Well, what if she doesn't want to come with us?" Rustfur asked hesitantly.

"Rustfur," Fireheart laughed, "she would follow you to the other side of the Sinnoh region and back without question."

"Do you really think so?" Rustfur flashed his father a quick glance.

"He's right, Rustfur, I would."

Rustfur snapped his head around. "How long have you been awake, Sapphire?"

"Long enough to hear you worrying about me." She sat up and fixed him with her vibrant cerulean gaze. "You should know me better than that."

At first, Rustfur thought she was angry with him, but he caught the amused gleam in her eyes.

"I would go anywhere or do anything for you. That includes joining you when you return to your Trainer. Don't worry." Sapphire answered him, brushing her muzzle against his cheek.

"All right, I'm sorry I didn't realize that." Rustfur apologized. "I should've known that."

"It's okay." Sapphire told him. "Let's get some more sleep. I'm still tired."

Fireheart smiled. "I'll let you two get some rest."

"Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Fireheart."

The Flareon silently trotted off to resume his watch, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the Espeon and Leafeon settling down to sleep. He smiled at the loving lick Rustfur placed on Sapphire's cheek. _Wow,_ he thought in amazement, _I barely recognize Rustfur. He's grown up so much in such a short time... It's almost as if those two were destined to be with one another._

__________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Toasted berries regular berries. That's a fact of life.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	35. Chapter 34: A Rose In the Future

Rustfur slept remarkably well that night. At least, until a slender but strong paw gently shook him. When he slightly opened his eyes, he could vaguely make out brown paws and creamy fur. "Mmm... Not now, Mom." He would've rolled over, but he could feel Sapphire still at his back. Again the paw prodded him, this time accompanied by a soft voice.

"C'mon, Rusty, wake up..."

_Rusty? The only Pokemon that know that name are me and..._ The Espeon looked up at the figure interrupting his sleep. Sure enough, the brown paws did belong to a Leafeon, but they weren't his mother's, as he found out when he saw this Leafeon's face. "Sapphire!?"

Behind him, the Leafeon jumped slightly and came awake, looking around sleepily. "Rustfur? What's the matter?"

Oddly, the reply came from in front of her, not from behind as she had expected. "I think you startled me."

Still laying on the ground, Sapphire raised her eyes to meet the owner of the voice. "Rustfur?"

She looked at the Espeon standing over her, blue eyes wide in awe. He stood about a foot taller than herself, and the young Leafeon was able to see smooth muscle under his short lavender fur. "Is that really you? You look..." Now she understood how Rustfur felt when he'd seen her evolve. She sat up, still staring at him.

A tail tapped her on her shoulder and she turned around. "Sapphire, look at yourself..." the younger Rustfur murmured in wonder.

Slowly, she looked herself up and down. "Okay, Rustfur," she began, glancing at the Espeon sitting next to her, "I now see why you stared at me like that."

"I'm glad you do, because it _still_ hurts where you smacked me." the older Espeon laughed, smoothly striding over to his beautiful mate.

"I'm sorry, Rusty. I wasn't really thinking when I did that." she murmured, gently brushing her cheek against her companion's.

"So, is it safe to say that Sapphire will be my mate?"

The older Sapphire took a step forward and crouched in front of the young Espeon, so that their eyes were inches apart. He pulled away a little, but held her bright azure gaze evenly. He knew this Leafeon better than his own mother, but there was something in the ocean-blue depths of her eyes that was different; more mature and motherly. She laughed, a sweet note in her voice. "Yes, Rustfur, I will be your mate one day, and you will be mine. There's no other Pokemon alive I'd want to spend my life with." She quickly swept her tongue between his ears, as gentle as a mother would do for her kit. The Espeon felt himself blush hotly.

"If you're us, how old are you right now?" Sapphire asked.

"A year and a half." the elder Espeon answered.

"Am I having this dream so that you can tell me something?"

The older pair of Pokemon exchanged a swift glance. "You always liked to get right to the point, didn't you, Rusty?" the Leafeon giggled.

"Yes, actually, we do have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

The two Pokemon spoke as one: "Fury of earth and fury of sky, one from the past, but both in the present, and born of nature's love, will lead the way to the dawn of the heavens."

"What does that mean?"

"We don't know yet..." the adult Sapphire admitted, looking toward the ground. "We've got absolutely _no_ idea... That's why we're here, so that hopefully you two could have more time to figure it out."

"We'll give it a try, Sapphire." It felt odd talking to the startlingly beautiful Leafeon standing across from him, when she also stood right next to him.

"Good. We'll know if you figure it out." Rustfur laughed.

Again, Sapphire stepped up to her young mate-to-be, and Rustfur to his, who blushed at being able to see the lean muscle under his coat. Each of the older Pokemon gently licked the forehead of each other's younger selves. That was the last Rustfur saw of his older self.

Beside him, Sapphire stirred and sat up. Rustfur also sat up, with a little more difficulty, due to his injured foot. "Did you have the same dream, Sapphire?"

"Did you see us when we were a year and a half old?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes, I had the same dream." she finally answered. The Leafeon wriggled with happiness. "Aaah! I can't wait!"

"Can't wait for what?" Rustfur asked as he pawed at an itch behind his right ear.

"I can't wait until we're that age!" Sapphire squealed joyfully.

"Why?"

"Come off it, Rustfur. You know why." She nudged him in the right shoulder, generating a cry of, "Ow!"

"Oops, sorry." she hastily apologized. "But did you see yourself? You looked so...so...strong. And I get to spend the rest of my life with that Pokemon! And I also saw how you were looking at me; you can't wait either."

"All right, I'll admit it. I'm looking forward to it." Sapphire's excitement was becoming contagious. "But, I can't help but worry about what they told us. It sounds almost ominous."

"You're right, it did." Sapphire agreed, having calmed down. "I wonder what it means, though?"

"I wish I knew... But I doubt we're going to figure it out right this second. Let's go find something to eat."

"We should get someone else to come with us, in case those idiots are still in the area." Sapphire advised.

"Let's see if Ravenpaw will go with us." Rustfur pushed himself into as standing position and delicately tested his injured foot against the ground. As he did so, he drew in a sharp breath. "Ouch!" Sapphire quickly fell in on his left side to support him as they progressed toward the Umbreon.

He must have heard their pawsteps, as he raised his black head and glanced at them. "You two are up and about early. Especially you, Rustfur. Are you sure you should be walking on your foot yet?"

Rustfur shrugged. "I'll have to start using again sometime. Why not now?"

"True." the Umbreon yawned. "So, what do the two of you need?"

"We were hoping you would come with us to find something to eat." Rustfur answered.

"Sure." Ravenpaw sat up and stretched. "I wouldn't mind."

Soft pawsteps, accompanied by a familiar scent caught Sapphire's attention. "Hey, Rustfur, there's your dad."

Rustfur followed her line of sight, and, sure enough, there was his father, several berries held in his mouth. The Flareon went over to his mate, set the berries down, and lay down next to her sleeping form, a concerned look in his eyes. "Dad, are you all right?"

"Yes, _I_ am, Rustfur. I'm too sure about your mother, though." he added. "She hasn't spoken since yesterday morning..."

"Give her some time, Fireheart." Ravenpaw said calmly. "I can't imagine it'd be easy to find out your brother who you thought you'd never see again is a part of the organization that almost took your son."

Rustfur limped forward and gently licked his mother's ear. "I love you, Mom." he whispered.

"Come on, Rustfur..." Sapphire delicately nudged the young Espeon. "Let's give her some time alone."

"All right..." he sighed. "Let's go find something to eat."

Sapphire nodded, and they followed Ravenpaw farther into the trees.

"It's all right, Rustfur. Your mother's fine." Sapphire murmured soothingly.

"She doesn't sound like it, from what my dad said. I wonder if there's something I could do..." Rustfur muttered, half to himself.

"There might be. I bet we could come up with something after a good meal."

"Speaking of that... Sapphire?" Ravenpaw threw a glance over his shoulder. "Do you want any specific kind of berry?"

"No, I'll take whatever you're able to find." the Leafeon responded.

"Then, hold on a second." Ravenpaw disappeared into the bushed and shortly reappeared, carrying a branch with about ten curling pink berries on it. He gave his head a quick shake and they fell to the ground. "Help yourselves." he offered.

"Mago berries!" Rustfur exclaimed.

"Yep, my personal favorite." Ravenpaw nodded.

Rustfur and Sapphire each took three berries apiece. As the young Leafeon ate, she saw a splash of scarlet amidst the cool green of the forest. She quickly swallowed and asked, "What's that?"

"That?" Ravenpaw got up and padded over to the vibrant splash of color. He bit off the plant just under its head. He carried back and extended his paw, then placed the delicate flower on his outstretched paw.

"Wow..." Sapphire murmured. "Rustfur, look at it." Its crimson petals were gathered in a tight, delicate bunch. "What is it called, Ravenpaw?"

"It's a rose." he explained. "Sometimes humans grow them in places called gardens."

"A rose? It's beautiful..."

"I know where it would look even better." Rustfur gently picked it up and turned toward Sapphire. She understood what he was going to do and lowered her head. Rustfur lightly tucked the rose behind her right ear. "There. You couldn't look prettier."

"You... You really think so?" she asked, shyly looking at her forepaws.

"Yes, I do. The rose brings out your eyes." he whispered. "We should have looked for a rose a long time ago."

"I doubt you would find another one out here." Ravenpaw commented, finishing his berries.

"Then I hope this one doesn't die too soon."

"Don't worry, Sapphire, it shouldn't. As a Leafeon, plants in your proximity can live without a source of water."

"How do you know that, Ravenpaw?" Rustfur wondered.

"Your mother told me once." Ravenpaw explained. "Let's get back and see how she's doing."

"All right." Rustfur agreed. Again, Sapphire assisted him with walking. Several times Rustfur threw a glance at the crimson rose perched by Sapphire's nicked ear. He was amazed at how different she looked.

She caught his last glance and met it with her captivating blue gaze. Rapidly he threw his gaze to the ground. "I saw that." she giggled. "You'll have to be quicker than that, Rusty." She lightly licked the cheek of the embarrassed Espeon.

'I'm sorry." he murmured. "I know it embarrasses you when I do that. I can't help it though."

"It's all right. It doesn't bother me anymore."

"There you are, Ravenpaw." Swiftclaw spotted the Umbreon's return and stood up.

"What's up, Swiftclaw?"

"I need you to help me with Rustfur's training."

"I assume you mean psychic training. He's not going to do any other kind of training with his foot in the condition it's in."

"Yes, I do."

"Okay, I'll help."

"Thanks." The bright rose tucked against Sapphire's pale, creamy fur caught Swiftclaw's eye. "Sapphire, where did you find that rose?"

"It was just sitting in the forest by itself. Rustfur put it behind my ear for me." She smiled sweetly at the young Espeon.

"It looks good there, Sapphire."

The Leafeon looked past Swiftclaw and saw Rayne come up behind him.

"Thank you, Rayne." Sapphire answered.

"So, Rustfur," began Swiftclaw, "do you want to get some practice in?"

Rustfur nodded. "Yeah, we can."

Sapphire giggled. "Now I can finally see how _you_ train."

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

This is a highly important chapter that plays a huge role later on in _Shattered Truths.  
_The rose. Keep it in mind. Also think about the prophecy and what it means; it  
essentially covers the majority of what happens in _ST. _

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	36. Chapter 35: When the Time Comes

The warm, early morning sun fell on the sleeping Pokemon, illuminating his thick, golden fur, and gave it a lustrous sheen. He blinked to clear his vision and looked at the Vaporeon sleeping by his side. _Wow,_ he thought, _This happened so fast. I can't believe it. Something tells me that we'll be together forever even though we met yesterday._

As Cinder was reflecting, the Vaporeon stirred. "Good morning, Brooke." he whispered.

"Good morning, Cinder." she replied.

He was about to ask if she were hungry, when his stomach gave a low growl.

"I guess you're hungry." She stood and stretched. "Let's go find something then."

Not too much later, the two Pokemon were seated by a bush laden with small, bright red berries. "Wow, I would never have thought that you would like spicy berries, Brooke."

The Vaporeon merely giggled and nudged Cinder in his powerful shoulder. "You've got a couple things to learn about me." she responded, smiling coyly at Cinder.

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"You'll have to find out..." she laughed.

"Heh, all right." Cinder smiled. He lowered his head as he continued. "I wish I could find a way to get rid of this stupid control device."

"Where is it?" Brooke looked over at the golden Flareon.

"The device? It's on the back of my neck, under this fur." he answered, pawing at the thick collar of fur around his neck.

Brooke stood up and placed a paw on Cinder's shoulder, using her other paw to part his thick, fluffy neckfur.

"Don't bother, Brooke..." Cinder muttered. "It's under my skin. There's nothing you could do to get it out..."

"Why did they put it there anyway?" she asked.

"If they had separated you from _your_ sister, would _you_ have listened to them? It's there so they could have control over me, even if I refused to listen."

"I-I'm sorry, Cinder." She gently laid her tail on his well-muscled back. "But you're _so_ strong..."

Cinder laughed to himself. "That's how Leafpool tried to cheer me up. Thanks."

Brooke rubbed her cheek against Cinder's in response.

"I wonder how she's doing right now..."

At that moment, Leafpool was talking with Sapphire.

"Leafpool, could you hold this rose for me?"

"Of course." Leafpool answered. Quickly, she turned to Fireheart and asked him, "Could you put the rose behind my ear?" While her mate did so, she turned back to Sapphire. "Why?"

Sapphire dipped her head as Fireheart took the flower from her ear. "I was going to do some training with Needlefur."

"You're going to train with my mom?" Fireheart placed the rose behind his mate's ear and turned to Sapphire.

"Needlefur actually asked to practice against Sapphire." Rustfur added.

"Wait, 'practice against'?" Leafpool's eyes grew wide. "You mean _fight?_ Sapphire, don't!"

"Leafpool, calm down." Fireheart pressed against her side. "Needlefur wouldn't hurt Sapphire."

"I know, you're right. It's just that I think of Sapphire as our own daughter, and after what happened with Cinder..." she broke off, looking away.

"I understand." Fireheart murmured. "Would you want to go and watch, just to make sure Sapphire's all right?"

"Okay." Leafpool hesitantly replied.

Leafpool and Fireheart followed the young pair to observe the training session.

Sapphire stood facing Needlefur, eyeing her determinedly.

"All right, Sapphire," Needlefur directed, "come at me as fast as you can."

"As fast as I can?" Sapphire seemed taken aback. "Are you sure?"

Needlefur nodded. "I think I'll be fine." she laughed.

Still Sapphire seemed hesitant. "All right..." The Leafeon then vanished with Aerial Ace.

If Rustfur had blinked, he would have missed what happened next. Needlefur nimbly stepped to the side, the forcefully struck back at her former position with the whole of her body.

"Oof!"

Sapphire fell to the ground heavily, staring at the Jolteon through wide blue eyes. "How did you-"

"Was that the fastest you could come at me?" Needlefur's tone wasn't mocking, but serious.

"Yes. But how did you know where I was?" she asked disbelievingly.

"I saw you." the Jolteon answered simply.

"How?"

"Easy. I'm used to moving at high speeds. That, and you came directly at me. That's why I wanted to train you. One day you'll come across an opponent who iwill/i be faster than you are." Needlefur warned. "_Never_ come straight at your opponent. Zig-zag left and right. Now get up and try again."

Sapphire stood up and padded away until Needlefur called for her to stop. _Left and right._ Sapphire thought to herself.

Rustfur heard this and, knowing he wouldn't be able to see Sapphire's movements, guessed she was going to try Needlefur's advice.

"Nnngh!"

Again Sapphire fell into the dust, shocked. "What didn't I do that time?"

"Again, you aimed directly at my body. If you always do that, you'll be much more vulnerable than if you unbalance your enemy by aiming at their paws periodically. Give it another try." Needlefur commanded.

"All right," Sapphire muttered to herself. "Aim for the paws this time..."

Once more, Needlefur expertly countered Sapphire's strike.

"You moved your paws!" Sapphire protested.

"Do you think your opponent is just going to stand still and let you smack them around?" the Jolteon retorted. "That's a luxury you'll rarely, if ever, have."

"I thought you were going to train me, not humiliate me!"

"I _am_ training you. I'm teaching you techniques to confuse and unbalance your enemy. You won't properly learn them if you're not up against the conditions a real enemy will present you with."

"I suppose you're right..." Sapphire agreed. "I guess I'm not used to the fact that there are things about battling that I don't know."

"That's why I'm teaching you, so when you come across an opponent that is stronger that you are, you know how to handle it." Needlefur explained. "Come on, back on your feet; I've got some more thing to show you."

An hour later, both Needlefur and Sapphire were breathing heavily. "Okay...Sapphire. That's...enough for today..." the Jolteon called breathlessly.

"Good..." Sapphire slowly padded over to Rustfur, her muscles shaking with every step. "I'm exhausted..."

"Wow, Sapphire you put in a _lot_ of training." Rustfur stroked the Leafeon's smoothly muscled shoulders.

"I'll say I did." she agreed.

Fireheart approached her, carrying the rose in his mouth. "I believe this is yours." he murmured around the flower.

Sapphire lowered her head and let Rustfur's father set the rose behind her ear. "Thanks." She threw a swift glance at Leafpool and whispered to Rustfur, "I hope your mom is all right..."

"I do too..."

Sapphire lightly licked Rustfur under his ear. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"It's all right." he answered, resting his tail on her shoulder.

Needlefur sat with Torrentpaw, regaining her breath after the intense training session. "Phew! I've never been up against that kind of speed. She's a fast learner too. Rustfur made a good choice as a mate."

"You think they'll eventually be mates?" Torrentpaw asked.

Needlefur nudged the Vaporeon playfully. "Come off it, Torrentpaw. Look at them; you were the same way with me. They'll be with each other for as long as they live, as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow."

"All right, I'll take your word for it."

The Jolteon yawned widely. "I don't know about you, but I could sleep for a week."

"Go ahead, get some rest." Torrentpaw smiled at his mate. "We're not going anywhere today."

"Good." The Jolteon immediately lay down where she was and fell asleep, but remained somewhat alert.

Rustfur and his companion were also curling up. "Just watching you train made me tired, Sapphire. And I was already tired from my own training. Bring it down a little next time."

"I'll try." Sapphire murmured sleepily. "Although I didn't know you had so many things to remember just to use something like Reflect. That must be hard to do."

"But I've got to learn how; until I learn that, I can't fully protect you."

Sapphire rolled over and gazed at Rustfur. "That's just like you, Rusty." she giggled. "Always wanting to protect me. I'll bet that's exactly how my father treated my mother."

"You're probably right." he mumbled. "Just another way I remind you of your father, I guess."

"But I'll never love him the same way I love you, Rusty." She rested her tail over his flank and they both drifted off to sleep.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Hmmm... There's not much for me to say down here. Next chapter...I guess...

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	37. Chapter 36: I Still Miss You

Rustfur wasn't expecting to dream, so when he woke up and it was only himself and Sapphire amidst the trees, he was a little surprised. Nowhere near as surprised, however, as when an Umbreon appeared out of the undergrowth. "Luna?"

"Yes, Rustfur, or should I say, 'Rusty?'" She smiled.

"Is Gemini here?" Rustfur lightly tickled Sapphire's nose with his tail, trying to wake her.

"No, not at the moment."

"Ah-ahchoo! Rustfur! Did you do that?"

"Look up, Sapphire." he whispered.

"Why? Who's - Mom!" In less than an instant, Sapphire was at her mother's side. "The last time I saw you was after the fight with Dusk, when you told me that there was still someone who loved me." She glanced at Rustfur, now sitting beside her, and he blushed at the look she game him.

"And I was right, wasn't I?" Luna said, gazing at each of them in turn. "Rustfur would give his life for you, wouldn't he?"

Sapphire nodded. "Of course he would. His first thought is, 'How can I protect Sapphire?'"

Sapphire's mother laughed. "He's almost Gemini's _exact_ twin."

"How so?" Sapphire asked.

"Gemini almost gave up his own life to heal a serious injury I once had."

"How did he heal you?" Rustfur inquired. "And why did he nearly die?"

"First off, he gave me a _lot_ of energy. But then, I suppose he had to," Luna reflected, "the wound was pretty serious."

"Where was it, Mom?" Sapphire interrupted. "How serious was it?"

"It was right here." Luna indicated with her paw, a small area on her slender black chest. "I'd lost so much blood from the wound, I thought for sure that I was going to die that night. Gemini's Morning Sun proved me wrong, though."

"He used Morning Sun on you? By himself, _and_ during the night?" Rustfur was amazed.

"Yes, he did. Why?"

"Because my own mother was healed in a similar way. But, it took two Pokemon to do it."

"Look at it this way, Rustfur. If you really love another Pokemon, there aren't any limits to what you would do to protect that Pokemon." Sapphire explained.

"That's very true, Sapphire." Luna nodded sagely at her daughter. "Love can cause you to take risks and do things you wouldn't normally do. That's very good, Sapphire. Did Rustfur teach you that?"

"Yes, and many other things."

"Well then, Rustfur thank you for teaching that to Sapphire. I was never able to explain all of those things to her. But, all things considered, it was probably easier for her to learn from experience. You'll always have my thanks for that, Rustfur."

"Thank you, Luna. I'm just glad I was able to help."

"Nevertheless, you have my thanks." Then, bringing her muzzle to Rustfur's ear, she whispered, "I like what you've done with that rose, Rustfur. It looks good behind her ear like that."

"I know it does, Mom."

"How... How did you hear me?"

Sapphire smiled. "Dad told me that his psychic powers and yours, combined with the radiation from the blue moon, let me hear, see, and smell things very well."

'It's near impossible to keep any kind of secret from her." He turned to Sapphire and silently added, _I know that now, and I'm sorry I tried to do that._

Sapphire nodded in response. _It's all right, you were only trying to protect me._

"Listen, Sapphire," Luna's voice caught the young pair's attention. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Mom?"

"For being an Umbreon..."

"Mom, that's ridiculous! You can't help what you are!"

"But it's because of me that you'll suffer during a blue moon..."

"I don't care. Rustfur will be with me right there with me when that night does come."

"But it's because of my being an Umbreon that you don't have a mother..."

"Rustfur's mom doesn't have a mother either." Sapphire protested.

"Maybe so, but she's grown and has a mate. Sapphire, you're still _very_ young; you still need a mother to care for you. Thankfully, Rustfur, your mother has done an excellent job taking over for me."

Rustfur blinked and stared at the vividly blue-eyed Leafeon; he didn't think of Sapphire as young. He still thought of himself as young. He still thought of himself as young, and in reality, she was the same age. Though he never looked at Sapphire that way.

"See, Mom? I'll be fine. Leafpool is taking care of me; and so is Rustfur." Sapphire sidled up against the Espeon. Unconsciously, their tails twined together.

"I'll always keep her safe, whatever happens." Rustfur promised.

Luna laughed. "Gemini said those same words to me the night he saved me. I see a _lot_ of him in you."

Rustfur bowed his head and closely studied the ground beneath his forepaws. "You're not the only one to tell me that..." he mumbled. "Sapphire has also told me that."

"Only because it's true, Rusty." Sapphire rubbed her cheek against Rustfur's, smiling sweetly.

"You're right, Sapphire. You'll be fine; Rustfur and his parents will watch over you." Luna bent down and lightly licked her daughter on her cheek. "I love you, Sapphire. You look very pretty in that form."

"Thank you, Mom." Sapphire raised her head to return her mother's lick, but Luna was slowly fading and Sapphire's muzzle touched nothing but air. "No! Not again! Don't leave!" she cried, tears welling in her deep blue eyes. "Mom! No!"

Rustfur felt Sapphire's pain as sharply as if it were his own. He laid his tail comfortingly on her shoulders. "Shhh. Calm down. It'll be all right."

Sapphire rounded on him, blue flames burning in her eyes. "No, Rustfur, it won't! When you wake up, you'll still have a mother! I won't! My mother is _dead_, Rustfur! I'll never see her again, except in dreams! This is only the _second_ time I've even _seen_ my mother! I can't even enjoy seeing my own parents because, in the back of my mind, I know they won't be there when I wake up..." As quickly as her temper had flared up, it died away. "Rustfur, you don't know how much this hurts!" she wailed, burying her head in Rustfur's shoulder.

Rustfur turned and gently licked Sapphire on her ear, attempting to comfort her. Still sobbing, she looked up at him. When he looked into her captivating azure eyes, all he saw was pain and sadness. He didn't try to say anything; he realized sadly there was nothing he _could_ say. He stroked Sapphire's back with his tail, hoping that the dream would end soon. He couldn't handle seeing Sapphire like this.

Fortunately, the reunion-turned-nightmare ended quickly. Rustfur blinked against the sunlight. He guessed only an hour had passed since he and Sapphire had lay down to rest. He could still hear Sapphire's sniffling. The Espeon looked down and saw her, apparently still dreaming, tears leaking from her tightly shut eyes. "Sapphire... Please wake up..." he whispered, gently brushing her tears away with his forepaw.

"Is Sapphire all right?"

Rustfur looked up at Rayne's soft voice. The sleek Vaporeon, accompanied by Swiftclaw, approached the young Espeon.

"Is she okay?" Rayne repeated. "Why is she crying?"

"She had a dream about her mother..." Rustfur answered.

Rayne looked slightly confused until Swiftclaw explained. "Sapphire's mother died right after she was born, and her father a month later. She doesn't have any brothers or sisters; Rustfur is all she has." he sadly pointed out.

"That's awful..." Rayne murmured.

Sapphire sniffed and slowly pushed herself into a sitting position. "I-I'm sorry I snapped at you like that... It's just..."

"Shhh." Rustfur whispered softly. "It's all right. I forgive you." He licked the back of Sapphire's nicked ear.

"Sapphire, I'm sorry about your parents..." Rayne added, lightly touching the Leafeon's flank with her tail.

Sapphire briefly looked up, then returned her troubled gaze back to her forepaws. "Thanks for your concern, Rayne." she mumbled. She looked up again at a touch on her shoulder.

"Come on, Sapphire..." Rustfur gently urged." Would your mother want you to sit around feeling sorry for yourself?"

Sapphire turned to him as smiled. "Thank you, Rustfur. You're right. I'll always miss my mother," She paused and looked to the sky, as if she were able to see her mother's face, then continued, "but I have someone else, right here and now, I can love. You."

Rustfur smiled. "I'll _always_ be here for you." he promised.

"Thank you." Sapphire gratefully laid her tail on Rustfur's back. "I feel much better now. Would you want to go find something to eat?" she suggested.

Rustfur nodded. "All right. Would you come with us?" he added, looking at Swiftclaw and Rayne.

"I don't mind." Swiftclaw replied. "What about you, Rayne?"

"I don't mind either. I could use something to eat."

As would have been expected, Sapphire helped Rustfur with walking. His foot felt better than it had yesterday, but it was nowhere near completely healed.

A short walk later placed the two pairs near a bush of Rawst berries. Rustfur looked slightly dejected when he realized what the berries were.

Swiftclaw threw a glance over his shoulder at Sapphire. "Sapphire, do you and Rustfur mind if Rayne and I have a couple Rawst berries?"

"Of course not." they replied as one. "In fact," Sapphire added, "I wouldn't mind a few myself."

"Really?" Rayne looked a little surprised. "You like bitter berries?"

The Leafeon shrugged. "I don't actually have a favorite. It comes from having to eat whatever I was able to find." she answered. Before she stepped forward to take some berries, she turned her gaze to Rustfur. "Do you want any?"

The young Espeon pulled a face. "Yuck! No thanks! I didn't like them when I _had_ to eat them, and I wouldn't like them now."

Sapphire giggled. "All right, Rusty. We'll find something for you after I have some Rawst berries." She promised, giving him a quick lick on his ear.

"Okay..." Rustfur reluctantly agreed. He moved with Sapphire as she moved forward to eat. "Here, let me." he offered when Sapphire reached up to shake loose several berries.

"Oh, thank you, Rustfur."

Three berries fell to the ground as Rustfur shook the branch. "You're welcome." he answered, releasing the branch and letting it spring back to its original position. He sat down next to the Leafeon as she tucked into the blue-gray berries.

"Rustfur?"

"Yes, Rayne?"

"Exactly how old are you?"

"Two months." he answered easily.

"Wow! That young?"

"Why do you say that, Rayne?" Swiftclaw added into the conversation.

"From their behavior, it looks like Rustfur and Sapphire have _known_ each other two months." Rayne commented. "I mean, you treat her so kindly, as if she were your mate."

"One day she will be." he proudly declared, noticing that Sapphire was blushing slightly. "I guess I learned how to treat a Pokemon I love by watching how my dad treats my mom, and maybe how _his_ parents treated one another."

"The world needs more Pokemon like you, Rustfur." Rayne commented.

"Thanks, Rayne." Rustfur flicked his tail in embarrassment.

The Vaporeon smiled and started on another berry.

As Rustfur watched the other three Pokemon eating, his protesting stomach almost convinced him to join them. However, the smell of the berries brought their sharp, bitter taste to his mouth, so he decided against it.

"All right, Rustfur, we're done." Swiftclaw proclaimed. "Let's find you something to eat."

Sapphire finished her berries and stood up. "Come on, Rusty." She moved to his left side, ready to help him if he stumbled. "Which way should we go now?"

"I'm not sure..." Swiftclaw sniffed the air, looking around. "Can you smell anything, Sapphire?"

"Let me see..." The Leafeon lifted her pale head and sniffed several times, blue eyes closed in concentration. "It's sweet..." Rustfur's eyes lit up as she said that, but the gleam quickly faded. "But I can just barely tell it's there."

"If Sapphire can barely scent it, then it won't be worth it going all that way for them. Are there any other scents, Sapphire?" Swiftclaw asked.

"Just one. But I don't know if Rustfur'll like them..." she answered hesitantly.

"What are they?" Rustfur asked hopefully.

"All I know is that they're spicy. Do you still want them?"

"I suppose it's better than nothing..." the Espeon sighed resignedly. "Which way are they?"

Sapphire pointed with her tail. "Over that way."

Swiftclaw and Rayne led the way into the trees, heading in the direction Sapphire had pointed out.

Rustfur shuffled along after them, not paying too much attention to where he was setting his paws. He got quite the surprise when his front left paw fell into a small dip in the ground.

"Ow!"

He stumbled forward, unable to steady himself with his right paw. Sapphire moved like a flash of light, catching Rustfur against her shoulder. Her deep blue eyes were wide with alarm. "Rustfur, are you all right!? What happened?"

Swiftclaw and Rayne spun around at Rustfur's cry. "What happened?" the older Espeon asked.

"I...twisted...my paw." Rustfur managed to answer from between clenched teeth.

"Let me see it." Sapphire gently took Rustfur's paw in her own.

"Oooh! Careful!"

"Sorry." Sapphire lightly ran her tongue over Rustfur's paw several times. "Is that any better?"

"Look at that." Rayne whispered to Swiftclaw.

"I know." he agreed. I don't think I've ever seen two Pokemon that care for each other that much."

"I wouldn't say that." Rayne murmured, playfully narrowing her sky-blue eyes at the Espeon sitting next to her.

"Oh? Why not?" he wondered, catching the playful glint in her eyes.

"You treat me _very_ well, Swiftclaw."

"But I le-" His protest was cut off when Rayne placed her tail over his lips.

"Listen, Swiftclaw, I don't care about that. I forgive you. And while we were apart, I never did stop loving you."

"Neither did I." he said quietly, resting his head against hers.

"All right, Swiftclaw, let's keep going."

Swiftclaw looked up. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Swiftclaw." Rustfur replied, wincing.

"Rustfur, you can barely stand." Rayne responded in a concerned tone.

"That's why he has me." Sapphire set her shoulder against Rustfur's left side.

"Before we go anywhere, hold on." Rustfur bent down and picked up the rose that had fallen from Sapphire's ear when she had caught him. He placed it back in its former place. "There."

They set off again, Sapphire taking most of Rustfur's weight. "Thank you, Sapphire."

"It's nothing." she assured him. "I don't mind. She smiled warmly at him, then added in a whisper, "No matter how many Pokemon stood between us, I would fight to the death to get back to your side. That's a promise."

"I would do the same for you." Rustfur meant _every_ word of that simple sentence and would make sure, if it actually came to that, he would follow through on that promise.

________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Luna finally gets to make another appearance, with another one in Chapter 40.  
With a surprise twist there, too.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	38. Chapter 37: You Have Me

Rayne giggled as she watched Rustfur eating. "You don't really like spicy berries, do you, Rustfur?"

"Augh! No!" The young Espeon spat, trying to get rid of the taste. "The first wasn't that bad, but the last one was a little much."

"We'll go find the sweet berries tomorrow, if you're feeling better." Sapphire promised. "All right, Rustfur?"

"Okay." he agreed.

"Should we head back?" Rayne asked.

"Probably." Swiftclaw guessed.

The four Pokemon padded away from the bush of bright red Cheri berries.

"This might surprise you, Rustfur," Rayne called back over her shoulder, "but my sister likes spicy berries."

"Really? Brooke likes spicy food? It certainly doesn't seem like she would." Sapphire commented.

Rayne laughed to herself. "Yeah, it doesn't, does it? But she wouldn't even _touch_ any other kind of berry." The Vaporeon paused and sniffed slightly. "Wow... All of a sudden, I really miss her..."

Swiftclaw placed his tail over Rayne's shoulders. "It's only natural that you would, Rayne. She's your sister, after all."

The Vaporeon smiled at him, then glanced toward the sky. "I hope Cinder is treating her well..."

The golden Flareon in mention was strolling through the forest, following Brooke. "What are you showing me, Brooke?"

"Come on, Cinder. It's not much farther."

"You told me that a while ago..." he muttered to himself, looking down.

He heard a splash and sped up. The Flareon came upon a serene lake fed by a waterfall. "Brooke? Where are you?" he called, looking around.

Under the surface, the Vaporeon slid gracefully through the water, her tail beating smoothly up and down, She silently cut underneath the shimmering, glass-like surface toward the ledge Cinder was standing on.

The Flareon jumped when Brooke's head popped out of the water. "Aah! You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, Cinder." she apologized, climbing out of the water to sit by the Flareon.

"It's all right, Brooke. It was a little bit of fun. Speaking of that, I hope you're not too dry..."

"Too dry? What do you me-ahhh!" Brooke gave a squeal of surprise as Cinder lightly nudged her, pushing her back into the water. "Cinder! Why did you do that?" she spluttered, shaking her head. She shut her eyes as water cascaded over her from a nearby splash. Cinder's golden head greeted her when she opened her eyes. "Cinder, you can _swim_!?"

"Yep." he replied with a smile. "Though not nearly as well as you could."

Brooke was still dumbfounded. "But how?"

His eyes darkened for an instant. "From my training..." he muttered. "But," he added, brightening up, "it probably helps that my mother was a Vaporeon."

"But look at thick your fur is; doesn't it bother you when it gets wet?" she questioned. "And isn't it awfully heavy?"

"It's a little annoying sometimes, but it's not too bad." he answered. "Now, are we going to spend all day floating here or what?" He grabbed a mouthful of water and squirted it at Brooke.

"Heeheehee!" The Vaporeon giggled and ducked under the surface. She swam under Cinder, flicking him with her tail.

He churned the water with his paws as he turned around. He met Brooke with as she surfaced with another mouthful of water.

The pair of Pokemon splashed and played until the sun began to tint the water numerous shades of red and orange.

The Flareon hauled himself out of the water, his thick fur plastered darkly against his muscular frame. "Wow..." he laughed. "I don't think I've ever had that much fun before."

"_Ever?_" Brooke repeated.

"Two and a half years of my life were nothing but fighting." he responded dejectedly. "And I'm _still_ not free of them! I hate this control device! Because of it, I was separated from my sister _again!_" Cinder fell to the ground and buried his head in his forepaws. "Leafpool was the only family I had left..." he sobbed. He looked up at the Vaporeon, tears brimming in his eyes. "Brooke, I'm all alone... After what I did to Rustfur, I wouldn't be surprised if he or Sapphire never wanted to see me again..."

"Cinder..." Brooke began, "Rustfur isn't like that. He isn't the kind of Pokemon to hold a grudge."

"What about Sapphire? I doubt _she_ would forgive me; she loves Rustfur more than life itself." Cinder sniffed.

Brooke rested her tail on the Flareon's trembling shoulder. "I think she would, Cinder. Leafpool, too."

"Did you see the look she gave me, though? She could never possibly-"

"Cinder! Stop it!" Brooke shouted in a volume that surprised herself.

The golden Flareon quickly looked up, also startled. The Vaporeon then continued in a calmer tone. "First off, stop feeling sorry for yourself; Leafpool is your sister, and just because she is, she'll forgive you. Second, you're not alone, you have me."

"You're right..." Cinder squeezed his eyes shut to clear the tears from them. "I'm not thinking. I'm lucky to have you in my life." He gave the Vaporeon next to him a quick lick on her cheek.

Brooke smiled and gently started rasping her tongue over Cinder's thick, honey-colored pelt. Her own short, dense, blue fur had already shed the water from their swim. Cinder's fluffy coat was still damp, only partially dried by his high internal body temperature. The gentle, repetitive strokes of Brooke's tongue removed the water and slowly lulled the Flareon to sleep. For a moment, Cinder was safely and warmly curled up in the curve of his mother's body, next to his sister, with their mother's finned tail protectively pulled around them.

With this image in his mind, Cinder fell into a deep and peaceful sleep. "Good night, Cinder." Brooke whispered into his ear. "I love you." she quietly added, resting her head on her paws, drifting into sleep alongside the well-muscled Flareon.

The orange sun dipped lower and lower, until it fell below the treeline. The pair of Pokemon slept peacefully, snuggled together like litter-mates.

The young Pokemon collapsed, completely out of breath.

"Rustfur!" Sapphire knelt beside him. "That level of training twice in one day!? Slow down!"

"Now who sounds like your father?" Rustfur laughed breathlessly. "Anyway, if I could, I would train _three_ times a day, just for you."

"Well, you're not able to train three times a day, so take it a little slower. Okay, Rusty?"

"Heh, all right. I will." he promised.

"Good, because if you kill yourself with all your training, who will watch out for me?" Sapphire asked, laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"All right, point taken." Rustfur answered, flicking her with his tail. "Ugh, I'm so tired, I could sleep right here." he added, yawning.

"Let's move a little closer to everyone else first, okay?" Sapphire suggested.

"Okay.." Rustfur reluctantly but good-naturedly agreed. He slowly stood up, his legs trembling. He thought he was going to collapse, when Sapphire pressed against him, steadying him. "Thanks, Sapphire." he murmured.

"You're welcome." she answered, her cerulean eyes shining.

Rustfur caught the shimmer in her gaze and asked, "What is it?"

"I was thinking about when you had just fallen out of that tree; you were barely able to stand then, and still you wanted to show me how strong you were. You might have evolved, but you haven't changed at all."

"You're right; I haven't." the Espeon commented. "But give me a couple days and I _will_ be able to show you how strong I am."

"I believe in you; you'll have control over your powers in no time, but, like I said, you don't have to prove anything to me, Rustfur."

"I know... But, something tells me I should..." Rustfur murmured. "Anyway, I wouldn't feel like I'm _truly_ protecting you until I can show you I have my powers under control."

Once more, Sapphire was amazed at Rustfur's dedication to protecting her. "All right, I'll let you prove it then. I'll be waiting." she whispered coyly, a playful smile flitting across her lips.

Rustfur returned her smile and gave her a lick on her cheek before settling down to get some well-deserved sleep. The pretty blue-eyed Leafeon lay down next to him. "Good night, Rustfur."

"Good night, Sapphire." he responded quietly.

Sapphire silently watched as Rustfur quickly fell asleep. She lightly gave him a lick on one ear and joined him in the realm of sleep.

"I'll take first watch, all right?" Frostpelt offered.

"Thanks." Swiftclaw nodded and curled up with Rayne a short distance away. "Wake me when it's my turn." he called to his Glaceon brother. "Do you want to take watch at all, Rayne?" the Espeon asked her.

The Vaporeon nodded. "Wake me when Frostpelt gets you up and I'll watch with you."

"All right," Swiftclaw rested his tail over Rayne's back. "Good night."

"Good night, Swiftclaw."

Swiftclaw was roused by a paw shaking his shoulder. "C'mon Swiftclaw, your turn."

The Espeon grunted and sat up. "Unnh. Thanks, Frostpelt."

He nodded and settled down to sleep.

Swiftclaw turned to Rayne and softly whispered into her fin-like ear, "Rayne? Rayne, wake up."

She stretched and sat up, blinking. "Already? Wow..." she yawned.

"Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds." he encouraged.

"If you say so..." Rayne muttered, not sounding convinced.

The two Pokemon padded over to where Frostpelt had sat. They hadn't sat there long until Swiftclaw felt something on his shoulder. He looked and saw that Rayne had fallen asleep again and her head was resting against his shoulder. He smiled and ever so lightly, licked her head. It was too dark to see properly, but he thought he saw a smile creep across Rayne,s face. He reached up with his tail and placed it protectively about the Vaporeon's shoulder.

Rayne looked so peaceful that it brought tears to Swiftclaw's amethyst eyes. He blinked them away and watched as her chest slowly rose and fell. _She's so beautiful; she's my whole life. I would give up everything for her._

The Espeon returned his gaze to the dark forest, making sure his family could sleep peacefully.

The night wore on without event. By the time the sun had risen bast the treeline, Swiftclaw was exhausted, and a little restless. He hadn't moved at all during the night, as Rayne was still asleep on his shoulder and he hadn't wanted to disturb her. He was wondering how he was going to lie down to sleep without waking her, when she stirred.

"Wow... You were right, Swiftclaw; it really wasn't too bad."

"Actually, you fell asleep on my shoulder."

"Oh, Swiftclaw! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she rapidly apologized.

"No, no, it's all right. It's not the first time I've kept watch and it's been just myself awake." he told her.

"Still, I'm sorry I fell asleep. I'll try again tonight."

"We won't be keeping watch two nights in a row. Tonight it will probably be Ravenpaw's turn." he explained. "So we'll both be able to get a full night's sleep." He yawned widely and added, "Speaking of sleep, I could use some."

Swiftclaw lay down and pulled his tail around his muzzle. Rayne lay down next to him and together the pair fell asleep.

As they fell asleep, Rustfur and Sapphire were waking up.

"Good morning, Sapphire."

"Morning, Rusty."

"Should we go find something to eat then get some training in?" Rustfur suggested.

"Let's just get something to eat first, okay?"

"All right. Should we ask my parents if they'll come with us?"

"Sure." she agreed.

Rustfur stood up, and, assisted by Sapphire, began walking over to his parents.

"Rustfur, I've got to tell you something."

"What is it, Sapphire?"

"I'm worried about you; I think you're putting too much into your training. Yesterday, you pushed yourself to the point of collapse. I don't want to see you hurt yourself.

"But I'm only-"

"Rustfur, stop! If you keep pushing yourself like this, you're going to hurt yourself. Take it easy. _Please..._" she pleaded.

Rustfur was about to protest, when he met Sapphire's eyes. Reflected in her ocean-blue gaze was something that startled him. Fear. Sapphire didn't show that very much. "You're really scared, aren't you?"

She nodded worriedly. "Just promise me you'll take it a little easier. Please?"

"All right, I promise." he assured her.

"Thanks." Sapphire sighed, eyes shining with relief.

By now they had reached the sleeping forms of Rustfur's parents. The Espeon lightly shook his father's shoulder with his paw. "Dad?" he whispered. "Are you awake?"

"I am now." Fireheart grunted sleepily. "What's up?'

"Would you come with Sapphire and me to find something to eat?"

"Of course."

A short time later, Rustfur and Sapphire followed the Flareon off in search of food.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

I realize that some of these chapters can seem monotonous; finding food, and the  
like. Bear with me; _Shattered Truths _takes a much different path.

Yes, Cinder can swim. There's nothing in the rules that says Flareons _can't _swim.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	39. Chapter 38: I'm So Proud Of You

Needlefur's prediction had proved correct; a week and a half had passed and Rustfur's foot was fully healed, and as strong as ever.

That wasn't all that had happened, though.

"I knew you could do it, Rusty!" Sapphire exclaimed happily. "You finally have control of your powers now!"

Rustfur blushed proudly. After a week and a half of continuous training, he now had complete control over his psychic powers.

"Show me again, Rustfur." she asked eagerly.

Rustfur laughed. "All right, then. Stay close." he warned, pulling her to his side with his tail.

Sapphire watched, her eyes shining with admiration, as Rustfur closed his eyes in concentration. He opened them slowly; a gentle blue glow illuminated them. That same glow outlined a large rock sitting some distance away. The boulder rose several feet into the air and several cracks appeared in it. The rock burst shortly thereafter.

"Aahhh!" Sapphire buried her head against Rustfur's shoulder, flinching away from the sharp rocks buzzing through the air.

The rock shards never reached the young pair; they halted at the Espeon's psychic barrier.

The barrier dropped as the glow left Rustfur's eyes. Sapphire looked up; the rock pieces lay in a rough half-circle in front of them.

"How's that?" Rustfur asked, smiling at Sapphire.

"My own father couldn't have done better. I'm so proud of you..." she answered. "You worked so hard for this. Now you can finally protect me."

"That's right, and now that I actually can, I'll never let anything hurt you." he vowed.

Sapphire gently licked Rustfur's ear. "Thank you." she whispered. "And, now that your foot is better," she added, "we can finally train together again."

"You're right; we haven't done that in a long time."

"Should we change that?" she asked, smiling playfully.

"I thought you'd never ask." he laughed.

The Espeon padded a short distance away and turned to face Sapphire.

"All right, come on, Sapphire."

"Full speed?"

Rustfur nodded. "Full speed."

"Okay..." she said hesitantly.

The instant Sapphire disappeared with Aerial Ace, Rustfur closed his eyes and sent off a weak psychic pulse. A clear image of various shades of blue came back to him, easily showing him where Sapphire was. He jumped backwards and swept a paw through the area where Sapphire's feet would be. The move worked just as Rustfur thought.

"Ouch! Rustfur, you sneaky... You went for my feet!"

"You weren't the only one who learned something from that lesson with Needlefur." he responded, helping the Leafeon to her feet.

"Is that so?" With one amazingly swift movement, Sapphire slipped to Rustfur's other side and tipped him over with a slight push. "Then do you remember that an opponent should never stand still?"

"Yes, I do. Do you, though?" Still on the ground, Rustfur hooked Sapphire's forepaws from under her.

"Aaaah!" She gave a squeal of surprise as she fell alongside Rustfur. "You did it again!"

Rustfur smiled cheekily. "Yeah, I did." he laughed, standing up.

"I'll bet you couldn't do it again though." Sapphire challenged.

"Why's that?"

Sapphire tackled Rustfur, knocking him to the ground. "See if I let you up."

Rustfur knew there was no chance of freeing himself by physical strength alone, but he tried nonetheless. "We haven't trained together in so long, I might have forgotten, but have you gotten stronger?"

"You noticed?" Sapphire smiled at him sweetly.

"It's kind of hard _not_ to notice when you've got me pinned down like this." he quipped.

"Be glad I love you, Rusty. If you were an enemy, I'd be using _all_ of my strength and you probably wouldn't last much longer." she answered, a serious glint in her cerulean eyes.

"Would you really do that to another Pokemon for me?"

"Go and ask Dusk." she retorted with a smirk.

"All right, you do have a point there." Rustfur agreed. "Now, could you let me up?"

"I told you I wasn't going to do that." the Leafeon said playfully.

"All right, then. Just remember, you made me do this." Rustfur brought his tail up and began flicking it back and forth across Sapphire's stomach.

"Heeheehee!" Immediately she began giggling. Unwittingly, she took her paw off Rustfur, allowing him to wiggle free. "Heehee... You-you're cheating!" she shouted, half-giggling.

Rustfur shrugged. "Whatever works, I guess."

"I don't think that trick would work in a real fight..." Sapphire told him when she had settled down enough to speak normally.

"I know it wouldn't. However, I wasn't about to use my psychic powers against you, even for something as simple as getting you to let me go."

"In that case, thank you. I don't think I'd want to go up against you if you were using them in a real fight."

"Don't worry about that. I promise I will _never_ use any of my abilities against you. I will only use them to protect you."

Sapphire lightly nosed Rustfur's cheek. "I don't know how I managed for a month without you to protect me."

"I don't know how I lasted without you until we met." Rustfur replied. "You are my whole life." he added in a whisper.

"I'm so glad that _you're_ the one I get to spend my life with. I love you, Rusty." she responded. "Should we get back to training?"

"Yeah, we should." Rustfur agreed.

It might have been that he and Sapphire hadn't trained together in a while, but Rustfur thought that today's training session was particularly intense. By the time they had finished, Rustfur was panting heavily. Sapphire wasn't out of breath in the slightest, though.

Rustfur was stunned; Sapphire was unbelievably strong. Here he was, barely able to stand, and Sapphire was striding towards, as strong as ever. "A-aren't you tired at all?" the Espeon managed to gasp between heavy breaths.

"No..." she answered, looking a little confused. "Why? Did I take it too hard on you?"

"No, no... I'm just not used to you having that kind of strength."

"I-I'm sorry, Rustfur..."

"No, Sapphire, don't be sorry about that. You should be proud. I just need to get used to it, is all."

"So you're all right with my being stronger than you?" she asked, almost ashamed to ask him that.

Rustfur caught the look in her eyes. "Sapphire... Have you been embarrassed of that?"

"A little..." she answered uncomfortably.

"Why?"

"I-I don't know! I guess- I guess its just that from how my father always used to tell me how he protected my mother, I thought it always had to be a male that was the stronger one and that he had to protect his mate. I feel weird that I'm stronger than you."

"Sapphire! Don't think that way! I don't care that you're stronger than I am. That's one of the things that I like about you. It makes you special, and I don't mind it."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Absolutely. Look at it this way, I have my psychic powers to protect you, and you have your strength to protect me." he explained, lightly touching Sapphire's shoulder with his split tail.

"You're right, Rusty. I shouldn't have been embarrassed about that. You and I just have a special kind of relationship, I guess."

"Exactly." Rustfur pulled Sapphire close with his tail. "Sapphire? Promise me something, all right?"

"Of course, Rustfur. What is it?"

"If anything at all is bothering you, like your being stronger than me, or anything else, come right out and tell me, okay?"

"I will. I promise."

"Good. It bothers me when you don't tell me if something's bothering you."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that. I'll never keep anything from you anymore."

Rustfur thanked her with a quick lick on her cheek. "Let's get something to eat and head back."

Rustfur was extremely thankful for the Chesto berries, even though they were too dry for him. As he ate them, the exhaustion weighing down his legs fell away, leaving him feeling completely refreshed. He approached his parents, head held high.

Leafpool ran up to her son. "You did it, Rustfur!" she exclaimed, proudly nuzzling the Espeon.

Fireheart approached at a slower pace, but he was no less proud of his son than his mate was. "Swiftclaw has kept us up to date on how your training was coming." the Flareon explained. "So, Rustfur, do you like being able to use your psychic powers?"

The young Espeon nodded vigorously. "I love it. It feels great that I stuck with it long enough to learn how to control them."

"And it took a lot of work, too." Sapphire added. "You never saw him training," she continued, looking at Fireheart, "but he was pushing himself, almost until he collapsed, every day."

"We know." Leafpool cut in. "Swiftclaw told us."

"Weren't you worried?" Rustfur asked. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"Because this training was for _you_ to handle, Rustfur. You _decided_ to do this because you wanted to keep Sapphire safe. I left this up to you, because you know how hard you can push yourself." his mother explained.

"Rustfur, you've shown us, in the way that you care for Sapphire, that you're very mature for your age. Because of that, we trusted your decision." Fireheart added.

Rustfur blinked, a little surprised. Before he could say anything, though, his father continued. "Keep in mind, however, your mother and I aren't going to let you make _all_ of your own decisions. You're too young to do that." the Flareon laughed.

"One day, though, you won't have us to tell you what to do and you'll have to think for yourself, Rustfur." Leafpool said solemnly. "We were letting you see what it's like to have to do that."

"Stop! I don't want to think about that day yet!" Rustfur shook his head to get the thought out of his head.

Leafpool laughed slightly. "All right, forget I said that." she apologized, giving her son a quick lick on his forehead.

"Don't worry about that, Rustfur. That day is a _long_ way off." Fireheart assured him. "Anyway, enough of that. Are you two hungry at all?"

"No." Sapphire answered. "We found some Chesto berries." She paused and giggled at the face that Rustfur had made. "So, no, we're not hungry. Are you?"

"No, I'm not." Fireheart told her.

"But I wouldn't mind some Chesto berries. Where did you find the berries, Sapphire?" Leafpool asked.

"They were back that way." Sapphire pointed with her leaf-like tail. "Come on, Rustfur and I will show you."

Rustfur felt very responsible as his parents followed Sapphire and himself through the trees.

"They're right over there, Mom." Rustfur pointed out.

"Thank you, Rustfur." Leafpool gently stroked her son's shoulders with her tail before trotting off.

Rustfur's head was spinning with what his parents had told him. This new responsibility his parents were thinking about giving him hung in his mind like a storm cloud. He wasn't sure if he was ready to handle that.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

I was actually talking to my mom not long ago about this chapter; I'm heading off  
to college in a short time, whereupon she'll have to let me make my own decisions.  
The college topic came up over dinner, and this chapter came to mind first.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	40. Chapter 39: What Was She Like?

After Leafpool had eaten, they met up with Fireheart's parents and brothers, and, once again, continued on their quest.

Leafpool kept throwing glances over her shoulder as they walked.

"What's wrong?" Fireheart prompted.

The Leafeon hesitated as she answered, "It's just that... once we get back to the Daycare; it's next to impossible that I'll see Cinder again; we never told him where we were going."

"Don't say that. You thought that before, and we still met up with him." her mate pointed out.

"You didn't let me finish. Even if he did find us, I wouldn't want him there. If he hurt anyone else, I couldn't live with myself for letting him stay..."

"Leafpool..." Fireheart murmured, gently rubbing her cheek.

Leafpool shied away from his touch. "Not now, Fireheart... I...just want some time alone..." she whispered. She increased her pace, leaving Fireheart with a stunned expression.

Needlefur barely overheard this, and, as Leafpool sped up, the Jolteon turned to her mate. "I'll be right back." she told him under her breath. She dropped back to Fireheart's side. "It's all right." she comforted him. "Leafpool's just a little upset right now. You remind her of Cinder, remember?"

"I know..." he answered. "She hasn't been the same since the last run-in with Team Galactic, though."

"I know." Needlefur patiently responded. "The best thing you can do right now is just be there for her when she needs it, and give her some time alone when she needs it. She'll come around soon." Needlefur gave her worried son a quick lick on one ear and padded back up to Torrentpaw.

What his mother had said to him whirled around in the Flareon's mind. "I guess you're right, Mom..." he muttered, almost unable to hear it himself. "But I miss the old Leafpool... I feel like I barely know her anymore..."

Sapphire tapped Rustfur's shoulder with her tail, interrupting their conversation. "I don't want to worry you, but it looks like whatever was bothering your mom has rubbed off on your dad."

"Please tell me you're kidding." Rustfur looked at her pleadingly.

"I'm afraid not, Rustfur." Sapphire answered, nodding in Fireheart's direction.

"Great..." Rustfur sighed. "I wish I could do something to cheer them up."

"Have you _ever_ taken time the time to think about yourself, Rusty?" Sapphire inquired.

"I can't say that I have. Why?"

"I always see you caring for other Pokemon, be it your parents or myself. Never you though.

Rustfur blinked unable of how to respond to Sapphire's flattering comment. "I take it that's a good thing?"

Sapphire giggled. "Sometimes you can be so dense, Rusty."

"Thanks..." Rustfur snorted.

Sapphire lightly butted him in the shoulder. "Oh, come on, Rustfur, you know I'm just kidding. It's a _good_ thing that you care about other Pokemon the way that you do. Most Pokemon only look out for themselves, myself included; at least, before I met you." she finished, whispering into his ear. "Take it from me, Rusty, that's not how you want to live. You can't trust anyone, and you don't get any friends." She paused and stared straight into the Espeon's calming violet eyes, then continued, "And, _worst_ of all, you can't have a _mate._" She delicately traced a line down Rustfur's back with her tail.

Rustfur shivered, and not just from the feather-like touch of the tail being drawn gently down his spine. It was the way Sapphire had said "mate." He knew she had been referring to him when she'd said that. He also knew that Sapphire had already agreed to be his mate, but the way she had stared into his eyes had stunned him. He swallowed, feeling his heartbeat quicken. "I-I guess you c-couldn't..."

Sapphire smiled at Rustfur's glazed expression. She waved her tail in front of his face. "Rusty?"

Nothing.

By chance, Fireheart threw a glance over hs shoulder and saw Sapphire guiding his son as they walked. He dropped back to see why. "What's wrong, Sapphire?"

Sapphire laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Fireheart. I did it again. I can't get through to him."

"Again?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

"Sapphire, I think you might know Attract."

"What's that?" the Leafeon wondered.

"Hold on." Fireheart lightly flicked his fluffy tail across his son's nose.

"A-a-aachoo!"

Sapphire flinched a little as Rustfur sneezed.

"Anyway Sapphire, Attract is a move that lets you force another Pokemon to look at you like Rustfur was. Half of the time, they won't attack."

"Why's that?" Rustfur chimed in.

"Your father thinks I know Attract." Sapphire explained.

"What is that, Dad?"

Again Fireheart explained houw Attract functioned, not at all expecting Rustfur's reaction.

"What!? Are you serious!?"

"What's the matter, Rusty?"

"I don't want you to use that attack, Sapphire!"

"What? Why?" Sapphire was startled by the Espeon's tone of voice.

Fireheart knew the answer, but let his son explain.

"If what my dad said is right, than what Attract does is make another Pokemon _fall in love_ with you! I'm not sure I could handle seeing another Pokemon look at you like that, Sapphire."

Suddenly Sapphire knew what Fireheart already did. "Rusty, are...are you jealous?"

"Rustfur didn't directly meet her eyes. "Yes..." he muttered.

"Rustfur, that's very sweet that you feel that way. Don't worry, you are the only one I love. But if it makes you feel better, I won't use Attract unless I _really_ have to. I'm not sure I'd even know how to use it."

"I would probably require some kind of gentle physical contact." Fireheart put in.

"How would she do that in a battle? Her opponent wouldn't let her close enough." Rustfur pointed out.

"I think she would have to meet their eyes, and -"

"That settles it!" Rustfur cut off his father. "You are _never_ using that move, Sapphire." Rustfur laughed.

Fireheart joined in the pair's laughter. "Come on, you two, let's keep moving." The Flareon gently nudged them forward.

Rustfur decided that now was as good a time as any to see what was bothering his father.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Rustfur?"

"Are you and Mom angry with each other?"

"No, Rustfur. I'm not angry at your mother, nor her with me. She just needs a little time to herself, well, because..."

"Because you remind her of Cinder..." Sapphire solemnly finished.

"Exactly, Sapphire." Fireheart nodded. "That's the _exact_ reason. Not until she's able to look at me and not see Cinder in me, will things be back to normal. Who knows how long that will take..." he muttered, hanging his head.

"Dad..." Rustfur's eyes softened and he edged closer to his father. Is there something I can do?"

"I'm not sure, Rustfur. My mother told me that all I could do was just be there for her when she needed it." Fireheart told his son.

"If you think of anything, tell me, okay, Dad?"

"Thanks, Rustfur. I'll do that." Fireheart smiled. "You certainly do have your mother's sensitive side."

Sapphire sniffed a little. "I wish I knew if _my_ mother had a sensitive side." she whispered.

"Swiftclaw and Rayne might know." Rustfur suggested.

"Why would they know anything?" the Leafeon asked, failing to hide the excitement in her voice.

"Swiftclaw met your father, and most likely your mother, too."

"How do you know that, Rustfur?"

"Did you notice that whenever your father used any kind of psychic ability, he closed his eyes?"

Sapphire nodded. "Yes, I've also noticed that you do that, too."

"So has Swiftclaw. As far as he knows, your father and I are the only Espeons that can do that."

"And to know that...means he _had_ to have met my father!" Sapphire exclaimed. "Come on, let's go talk to him!" she called back to Rustfur, as she bounded forward.

Fireheart laughed to himself, watching his son sprint after the energetic Leafeon. "I wish I still had that kind of energy."

"Swiftclaw! Swiftclaw!"

"Something tells me that Sapphire wants your attention." Rayne whispered into the Espeon's ear.

Swiftclaw looked back over his shoulder; sure enough, Sapphire was racing towards him. "Something tells me you're right." he quickly whispered back.

"Swiftclaw, Rustfur tells me that you've met my father. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is. The same for your mother, as well."

"Really!? What was she like!?"

"Calm down, Sapphire." Swiftclaw chuckled. "Give me a chance to think." The Espeon briefly closed his eyes in concentration, then went on. "She was, kind, caring, and very motherly. Not too unlike Leafpool, actually."

"Sorry for interrupting, but are you talking about that Umbreon that you and I met a while back?" Rayne threw a questioning glance at Swiftclaw.

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"What's that Umbreon have to do with-" A look of realization spread across Rayne's face as she recalled the Umbreon, her belly swollen with unborn life. "That Umbreon was Sapphire's mother, wasn't she, Swiftclaw!?" Rayne's eyes went wide with astonishment. "And that Espeon was her father, right?"

"Yes, it was." Swiftclaw answered calmly.

"Oooh! What were their names again?" Rayne squinted as she tried to think of the pair's names.

"Gemini and Luna." Rustfur easily answered.

"That was it! Thank you, Rustfur. Wait, how do you know that, anyway?" Rayne asked.

_Should I tell her about my dreams?_ Rustfur asked Sapphire.

_Up to you._ Sapphire answered simply.

"Sapphire's parents have visited us in several of my dreams."

"Us? You mean to say that you and Sapphire shared those dreams?"

Rustfur nodded. "We've had conversations in those dreams, and remembered them later."

"How?"

Rustfur let out a small, almost unnoticeable sigh; Sapphire wanted to know about _her_ mother, and here he was, explaining their unique connection. "Sapphire and I have a special link that comes from being born on the same night under the same blue moon."

"You, Rayne, of all Pokemon should know the connection that twins share." Swiftclaw flicked the Vaporeon with his tail.

"You're twins, too?" Rayne seemed stunned.

"More or less." Rustfur responded, "after all, we _did_ have different parents." The young Espeon emphasized the last word, hoping that Rayne would catch his hint and resume talking about Sapphire's mother.

No such luck...

Swiftclaw got it, though. "Can you remember anything else about Luna, Rayne? I'm at a loss."

"Oh, uh..." The Vaporeon flicked her tail in concentration. "Actually, yes, I can remember something."

Sapphire's ears stood straight up. "What?"

"Luna seemed _extremely_ protective. In fact, she actually attacked me to defend you."

"Well, now we know where you got your fighting skills, Sapphire." Rustfur lightly nudged the Leafeon's shoulder.

Sapphire giggled slightly. "Yeah, that sounds just like my mom, at least from what my dad told me."

"Of course," Rayne continued, "I couldn't fight back, because, well, I wasn't going to risk injuring her or you. Thankfully, Gemini calmed her down before she seriously wounded me."

"She was fighting _that_ fiercely, while Sapphire was inside her?" Rustfur asked, astonished.

"What would you expect, Rustfur? My mother didn't know Rayne. She was just protecting me."

"That's true, Sapphire." Swiftclaw agreed. "But I hadn't _ever_ seen that level of ferocity from any other Pokemon. There was no doubt; Luna was fighting to kill." he finished bluntly.

"Though she was positive that we were from Team Galactic. That was probably why." Rayne stated.

"Did you just say..." Rustfur broke off mid-sentence.

"Team Galactic?" Sapphire finished. "How did my parents know who they were!?" she demanded, her cerulean eyes flashing agressively.

The Vaporeon flinched at yet another display of Sapphire's volatile temper. "I-I don't know; neither one of them would tell me."

"Oh... Sorry, Rayne." Sapphire apologized. "I just hadn't expected my parents to be at all involved with those idiots..." she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Rustfur could sense something stirring in the back of Sapphire's mind. "Could you give us a moment?" he asked Swiftclaw.

The older Espeon nodded. "Let's give them a little privacy, Rayne."

"What's the matter, Sapphire?" Rustfur asked.

"I'll tell you a little later." the Leafeon promised him. "Right now, just let me borrow you, all right?" Sapphire rested her head on the Espeon's shoulder, without waiting for an answer.

"Of course you can, Sapphire. Keep it as long as you need." He smiled at her gently.

A short time passed before Sapphire quietly spoke up. "Rustfur?"

"Yes, Sapphire? What is it?"

"Could you cut our connection for a little while? I want some time in my own thoughts, if that's okay."

While he had been training, Rustfur had learned how to block his telepathic link with Sapphire, if either of them ever wanted a little privacy, as was the case now. "That's all right, Sapphire. I'll close it for a while." It took but a moment for the Espeon to cut their link. If felt strange not feeling Sapphire's mind within his own.

_I hope you're able to talk about this soon, Sapphire..._

Of course, Sapphire couldn't hear him. _I can't believe that my parents knew who Team Galatic was... I wonder why my father didn't tell me? Was there anything else he didn't tell me?_

__________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Now we start to see a little bit of the plot that will carry over to _ST_.

Oh, I meant to say this back in 36, but that conversation that Rustfur and Sapphire  
had with Luna, where she described that injury was alluding to a contest entry I  
did over on dA, entitled, "Love of the Heavens."

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	41. Chapter 40: Why Did You Do That?

For the rest of the day, Sapphire was completely silent. Much to his concern, she wouldn't let him reestablish their psychic link. He had no choice but to let Sapphire remain rested on his shoulder.

When they stopped for the night, Rustfur was determined to find out what was wrong with the Leafeon.

"Sapphire, will you _please_ tell me what's wrong?"

Sapphire gave a deep sigh. "All right, fine... It's just that I'm irritated that my father hid the fact that he knew Team Galactic from me. They've affected too many Pokemon; my parents, your mother and father, his parents and brothers, _you._ Need I go on?"

"You're right, Sapphire. Unfortunately, that's just how some humans are. I'm sure your father didn't tell you because he didn't want to scare you."

"I hadn't thought of that... But still, I don't think it's right to hide anything from your daughter." Suddenly, an unnerving thought slipped into her mind. Her connection was still closed, so Rustfur didn't share it. She turned to the Espeon, her eyes troubled. "I don't mean to offend you, Rustfur, but... Is your Trainer one of those humans?"

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't want any other Trainer."

"Oh, sorry, Rusty. The only humans I've known are the Team Galactic members and J. They aren't exactly the best examples of humans..."

"I'll second that." Rustfur added. "Don't worry though, Eric is probably the nicest Trainer you could want."

"That's good, although I don't really _need_ a Trainer. You're all I need, Rusty." she murmured into the Espeon's ear.

"I feel the same way about you, but, all the same, you'll be much safer once you have a Trainer." Rustfur lay down and pulled his tail up to his nose.

Sapphire lay alongside him and gently licked his ear. "Good night, Rusty. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Sapphire." Rustfur mumbled.

The bright sun falling on her pale fur warmed the Leafeon and woke her up. She stood up and stretched luxuriously. "Are you hungry, Rusty?"

There was no answer.

"Rusty? Rusty?"

After calling several times and still not receiving an answer, Sapphire became worried. "Rustfur? Rustfur, where are you!?" she called frantically.

The young Pokemon spun around at the familiar voice. The familiar figures of her parents appeared from within the trees. She was overjoyed to see them, until a thought flashed through her mind, and with it, anger through her azure eyes. "Are you alone?" she asked sarcastically.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gemini inquired.

"Are you alone?" Sapphire repeated. "Or is Team Galactic with you!?"

Behind her mate, Luna flinched, her crimson eyes wide with shock. _How... How did she find out about that?_

Gemini put voice to Luna's thoughts. "How did you find out about that?"

Sapphire's tone was still abrasive as she continued. "Do the names Swiftclaw and Rayne sound at all familiar?"

"Yes, I remember them; an Espeon and Vaporeon. But why does that matter?" Gemini was barely keeping a calm tone in he heat of his daughter's fiery temper.

"Obviously Swiftclaw thought it all right to tell me that my own parents knew Team Galactic! So far, Fireheart and Leafpool have done a better job as my parents!"

Luna took a step back, as if she had been struck. Her gentle, sable-furred body began trembling, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes. "S-Sapphire... I...I...I never wanted you to find out about th-that..." Emotion finally overcame the Umbreon, and she turned away.

Seeing his mate so distraught, coupled with the shot at his parenting, infuriated him. The fact that it was his daughter that had caused it didn't matter. "Sapphire! Don't speak to us like that! Fireheart and Leafpool might be filling in for us, but they aren't your true parents!"

"At least they're still alive!" Sapphire retorted loudly. "They've never lied to me either!"

"I kept that from you so you wouldn't be scared, Sapphire!"

"Well, I was pretty scared when they attacked and killed you! You know, I'm glad that I don't have to deal with you anymore! I hated all that training you put me through! Since I was a week old, every day! You barely gave me a break!"

"Sapphire! I did that so you would be able to defend yourself, so you wouldn't end up like-"

"Gemini, no!" Luna hissed to her mate.

Sapphire was so furious, she didn't hear her mother's urgently whispered interruption. "So I could defend myself!? That's why you did it!? I think you did it because you had no idea how to raise a daughter!"

"I did the best I could, Sapphire! Apparently, it wasn't good enough."

The Leafeon's temper was reaching dangerously high levels. She bared her teeth and her tail took on the familiar green glow. "Oh, you think so? Then let's find out." Her voice was dangerously low.

"I might be angry with you, but I am _not_ going to fight you." Gemini declared, turning away.

That answer wasn't what Sapphire wanted. She disappeared, having executed Aerial Ace.

Before Luna could even call out, a barrier had shot up around her mate.

"Ow!"

The barrier stopped Sapphire's attack dead, placing her roughly on the ground. Gemini looked coldly at her. "I might have trained you, but I didn't teach you everything I know..."

Sapphire scrambled back up, glaring daggers at her father's back. She made to step towards him, but was stopped by her mother's gentle tone. "Sapphire...stop... Please..."

"Mom..." Sapphire's voice dropped to its normal level.

"Your father did a good job teaching you about combat, but you needed a mother to teach you to let out your emotions, not keep them locked up inside. I'm sorry..." Luna finished, barely above a whisper.

"Mom... It's not your fault..." Sapphire comforted.

"Sapphire, it _is_ my fault. I couldn't stay alive to keep you safe and happy." The Umbreon's voice was shaking, and fresh tears were working their way into her troubled scarlet eyes. "If you ever have kits, _never, ever_ let them grow up without a mother."

Sapphire was speechless for a moment. "You mean have Rustfur take a _new_ mate? Mom, I-I couldn't do that, and neither could he. He could never love another Pokemon like he loves me. I-I just can't, Mom..."

Luna sadly shook her head. "Sapphire... If you're ever faced with the threat of your kits growing up without a mother, you'll feel different. It's just an instinct all mothers have. I felt the same way."

Sapphire still didn't believe her mother. "I could never ask Rustfur to do that; you don't know how we feel about one another. Neither of us could feel that way toward another Pokemon."

Despite the tears still in her eyes, Luna smiled. "You definitely have your father's stubbornness." she remarked. "But I think you got your caring and love from me. It just took Rustfur to show you that part of yourself."

A warm feeling flooded the Leafeon at the mention of the Espeon that she felt was the other half of her. "He's shown me many things..." she softly agreed. "I wouldn't want _any_ other Pokemon as a mate."

Luna blinked, a little surprised. "I know you care strongly about him, Sapphire, but you're too young to be thinking about something _that_ serious."

Sapphire tossed her head indignantly. "Hmph. I you want to know, _he_ actually asked me and I agreed to it." she finished, eyes closed and nose stuck into the air.

"Does he know what a big commitment that is?"

Sapphire opened an eye and stared at her mother. "What?" she calmly demanded.

"Taking a mate is a huge responsibility. Does Rustfur know that?" Luna asked.

"Of course he does, but does that really make any difference?"

"Why do you say that, Sapphire?"

"Have you forgotten what you told him? About us being destined to be with each other?"

Luna swallowed visibly before responding. "Oh, right. I actually had forgotten. Thank you for reminding me."

Sapphire caught her mother's hesitation and glared challengingly at her. "What was _that!?_ I knew it! You _are_ hiding something from me! Tell me what it is, right now!"

"Sapphire, don't take that tone with me! I'm not hiding anything from you anyway."

"Don't give me that! I saw what went through your eyes just now! What are you hiding from me!?"

"I told you, I'm not hiding anything." Luna repeated, desperately hoping her voice wouldn't betray her.

"This is why I prefer Fireheart and Leafpool as my parents; they don't lie to me!"

Sapphire was completely unprepared for what her mother said next.

"That's enough, Sapphire! I won't have you putting Rustfur's parents above your father and myself! If you insist on using that against me, however, I suppose I'll have to tell you the truth! You and Rustfur were never _destined_ to be with each other!"

"W-what!?" Sapphire stammered, eyes wide with disbelief. However, anger soon returned to them. "I might have been able to forgive that you didn't tell me about Team Galactic. But you lied to _Rustfur,_ and I will _never_ forgive that!"

"You don't know why we did that, Sapphire."

"You're right, I don't. It was a horrible thing to do; and, all this time I thought we had something past normal love for each other..." Sapphire seemed close to tears at this shocking news.

"We did this so you would be comfortable with him in your life."

"I was perfectly fine with Rustfur in my life! You didn't need to lie to him for my sake!"

"Sapphire, it was your first relationship, -"

"I don't want to hear any more." Sapphire interrupted in a level tone. "I've now accepted the fact that I truly am an orphan. My parents really _are_ dead to me; they've lied to me, and the one I care about. I don't know them anymore. I'm beyond grieving about your deaths. I know that Rustfur will be honest with me. From now on, his parents will be my parents."

"Sapphire, no matter what you say, _I_ will be your mother!"

"No, you won't. You truly are dead to me. I want nothing more to do with you or Dad."

"You can't possibly be serious!"

The Leafeon's voice went back to its previous level. "I am _completely_ serious! I _never_ want to see you or Dad again!"

Luna was far past speaking civilly. "Fine! I'll respect that! Though I doubt Rustfur will be able to take our place!" The Umbreon spun around and began stalking away.

"He loves me and that's all that matters!" Sapphire shot back.

Her dream faded with the image of her mother's back disappearing into the bushes.

_______________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

See, Sapphire's temper isn't always a good thing... Despite their being rejected,  
Gemini and Luna will still play a big role in _ST_.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	42. Chapter 41: The True Test

The Leafeon blinked against the real, waking-world sun as her dream melted away. The absence of a warm body next to her told her where Rustfur was. Meanwhile, she stretched and sat up, looking around drowsily. It wasn't long before an all too familiar voice reached her ears.

"Good morning, Sapphire!"

Hearing her name, she spun around knowing exactly who it was. Of course, it was Rustfur, but, as she looked at him, she hesitated. The way he walked, the way he carried his tail, even the way he used his psychic abilities. He was nearly the spitting image of her father. That, in itself was just a little unnerving.

_No,_ Sapphire reminded herself, _Rustfur might_ look _like my father, but that's it; Rustfur cares about my feelings, and now that we've promised to be completely honest, he won't keep anything from me._

"Morning, Rusty." she responded as he drew nearer, her breakfast apparently in his mouth. "For me, I take it?"

The Espeon nodded. "Yes, they are." he mumbled around the three pink Pecha berries he was carrying. "Is there any other Pokemon that they would be for?" he asked in a light tone.

"Thank you, Rusty." she snorted, in response to his answer.

He watched as the first two berries disappeared, in turn, into Sapphire's mouth. Before she started the third, she turned to the Espeon. "Rustfur, I have to tell you something serious, all right?"

"Of course," he answered. "What is it?"

"You remember yesterday, that we found out that my parents hid that they knew Team Galactic?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, that wasn't all they had hid. I saw them last night, and I found out that they made up our being destined to be with each other." Sapphire hesitated a little as she finished, unsure of how Rustfur was going to take the news.

All Rustfur could say was, "Why? Why did they do that?"

"My mother said it was to make sure I was happy with you."

"We don't need something like that to be happy with each other."

"That's what I told her." Sapphire replied.

There was a brief pause, then Rustfur spoke again. "Think about this, Sapphire; if what they told me wasn't true, then it really was our love that brought us this far. It was chance that brought us together in the first place."

"You're right, and now I'll have to love you even harder." she said, a slightly seductive undertone in her voice.

"Oh? Why is that?"

The Leafeon's azure eyes glowed playfully. "Now that we know we aren't linked by destiny, I'll have to make up for it with more love." she giggled. "That's why."

"We might not be linked by destiny, but I believe it was _my_ destiny to meet you." Rustfur murmured softly.

"I'll agree to that." Sapphire whispered. "There _was_ something that brought us to each other."

"Oh, you mean other than the two Sneasels who threw you into my cage?" Rustfur laughed.

"Yes, other than them." she responded. Then, after pausing for a bit, she went on. "That night seems _so_ long ago, doesn't it, Rusty? I wouldn't have anything to do with any other Pokemon. I was a lot more aggressive back then, too."

Rustfur nodded as he recalled being hypnotized by that feisty Eevee's striking blue eyes, then receiving a swat to his head. Then, coming back to reality, he looked at the Leafeon smiling sweetly at him. They hardly seemed like one and the same. "How could I forget? It's when I met the love of my life."

The Leafeon giggled shyly. "And the night when I met mine." She rested her head against the soft lavender fur on his chest.

Rustfur licked the nicked ear he had come to love so much, and quietly asked, "Can I reopen our link?"

Sapphire nodded. "Yes, you may."

_It's nice to be able to feel your mind in mine again, Sapphire._

_I know. It felt strange not being able to sense you._

"Do you want to go get some training in before we get moving?"

"I'd like that, Rustfur." she happily agreed. "You know, in some ways, you _aren't_ like my father." she added as they rose.

"How so?"

'I never liked training with him. I _love_ training with you, though."

"Why didn't you like training with him?" Rustfur inquired.

'He pushed me almost day and night, not unlike how Cinder was treated." She forestalled Rustfur's response with her tail. "I know what you're thinking." she added with a smile. "Don't tell me how strong I am."

"Okay, then, I won't. But, I'll say this: let's have a two-on-two battle for our training today, to make things different."

"All right. But, who should we go up against?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that..." Rustfur looked around.

"How about Needlefur and Torrentpaw?" Sapphire suggested.

"Are you sure? Have you seen them fight at one another's side?" Rustfur couldn't believe Sapphire's idea.

"No, I haven't." Sapphire admitted. "Why?"

"Needlefur and Torrentpaw have been with my Trainer since he was in the Kanto region several years ago. They always fought by each other's side. Two-on-two battles are their specialty."

"But Torrentpaw can't be anywhere as fast as Needlefur."

"He doesn't have to be; my dad tells me he's seen his father take a Thunder attack, and keep fighting." Rustfur explained.

Rustfur expected this bit of news to change Sapphire's mind. It had the completely opposite effect.

"Wow! Now I _really_ can't wait to fight them!"

Rustfur shook his head resignedly and laughed. "Trying to talk you out of a battle? What was I thinking? I should know you better than _that._"

"Yes, Rusty, you should." she giggled. "Now let's go ask them if they're up for it."

As it turned out, the Jolteon and Vaporeon were happy to oblige, and, in a short time, the two pairs of Pokemon stood staring each other down across a small clearing.

"If you need a break at any time, just say so, all right?" Needlefur called out to the younger Pokemon.

"All right." Rustfur answered.

Even as he finished responding, Needlefur and her mate had already swapped glances and, understanding each other perfectly, started the fight.

The Jolteon's usually soft fur stood up like so many small spikes and little bolts of electricity began arcing between the many spikes. As this was happening, Torrentpaw shot a single ring of water into the air just above him, and there it stayed.

Rustfur watched, unsure of their strategy. When Sapphire saw his hesitation, she mentally called. _Try attacking from a distance._ she suggested.

_Of course! Shadow Ball!_

The Espeon began creating the familiar sphere of dark energy. A brief moment later, he fired.

Neither Needlefur or her mate moved as the orb flew towards them. Rustfur soon knew why; it glanced off a barrier surrounding them!

"What the...?" Rustfur was stunned.

Sapphire shared his astonishment. "But how?" She looked at Rustfur. "That wasn't Reflect, was it?"

"No..." Rustfur answered at length.

"We are still fighting, aren't we?" Torrentpaw asked.

"Yes, we are." Rustfur called back.

"All right, your move." he whispered to Needlefur.

"Right." The electricity already arcing over her body intensified and soon flew towards Rustfur and Sapphire as a blue shock wave.

"Move!" Rustfur shouted.

The pair split in two, moving in opposite directions.

Seeing an opportunity, Torrentpaw flung an Ice Beam at the Espeon.

Rustfur narrowly countered with Reflect. He also noticed the electricity around Needlefur strengthen and knew what was coming. Concentrating, he blocked the flow of energy from the gem on his forehead, then released it into the sky, intensifying the sunlight. Consequently, a green aura surrounded Sapphire.

No sooner had it enveloped her, than Needlefur's second Thunder Wave hit her. Sapphire winced, expecting the electricity to surge through her. However, the green aura brightened, canceling the Thunder Wave. Sapphire looked up and blinked in surprise.

_Leaf Guard. It protects you from being burned, poisoned, or paralyzed._ Rustfur said within her mind.

"That was an excellent move by Rustfur; he hasn't only protected Sapphire, but he's all but eliminated me from using Water Pulse." Torrentpaw noticed.

"Good move, Rustfur!" Needlefur called. "Keep it up; now we'll _really_ get started!"

The following battle carried on for a good half hour, only ending when, surprisingly, _Needlefur_ called to stop.

"Enough..." the Jolteon panted. "That's enough..."

Rustfur and Sapphire were in mid-attack when they heard this. They were breathing heavily, but not as much as Needlefur and Torrentpaw were.

"Did we just..." Rustfur began, astonished.

"_Beat_ them?" Sapphire finished, equally amazed.

"I... I think so..." he gasped.

"Has anyone else ever done that?" Sapphire asked breathlessly.

"Not in my family, no."

"Then that means we're-"

"Congratulations, we haven't lost a match for quite a while." Needlefur said.

"I've never seen that before; you two were fighting like one Pokemon. Very impressive." Torrentpaw added. "If you only get better as you get older, I doubt we could ever win against you again."

Tired as he was, Rustfur felt extremely proud that Torrentpaw would give him such a compliment.

"Thank you." Sapphire responded.

"You're welcome, Sapphire." Needlefur said. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I want to sleep for a week." she laughed.

"All right, we'll stay here until you catch your breath." Rustfur offered.

"Thanks, Rustfur." Torrentpaw replied. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, how _do_ you and Sapphire fight that well together?"

Rustfur quickly looked at the Leafeon sitting next to him. _Should we tell them?_

_I don't see how it could do any wrong._

"Sapphire and I share a telepathic link." Rustfur finally answered. "We can hear each other's thoughts."

That would explain it." Torrentpaw commented. "That, coupled with the training you two have done, and the training Needlefur gave you, Sapphire, and Swiftclaw you, Rustfur, I'm just surprised we lasted as long as we did."

Rustfur blushed at the Vaporeon's consistent stream of praise. Sapphire giggled at him, saying, "Come on, Rusty, you did a great job, admit it."

"Yes, that you did. You too, Sapphire. And I think Fireheart and Leafpool should know that your training paid off. Let's go." Needlefur stood up to head back.

Upon reaching the temporary camp, Rustfur tore off to his parents. "Mom! Dad! Guess what!?"

"What is it, Rustfur?" his mother asked calmly.

"Sapphire and I were able to beat Needlefur and Torrentpaw!"

Fireheart blinked in surprise. "Really? How?"

"We'll tell you." Needlefur offered, coming up with her mate and Sapphire.

"These two fight like one Pokemon. They have some sort of-" Torrentpaw was interrupted when Leafpool spoke up.

"Psychic connection. We know; they've already told us." she said. "But is that really true? Did they beat you?"

Torrentpaw nodded. "They sure did. Needlefur and I were hard put to keep up."

"See, Mom? I told you."

"You were right, Rustfur. If Fireheart tells me right, you'd be the first in the family to have beaten his parents. Is that right?" Leafpool cast a glance at her mate.

"Yes, it is. They would be the first. I'm proud of you, Rustfur!" He gave a small lick to his son's right ear.

_Now you'll have something to tell your parents, Sapphire._

Something flashed through her azure eyes and she stared off into space. _My...parents...?_

_What's wrong, Sapphire?_

Sapphire blinked and looked at the other Pokemon, asking, "Could you give Rustfur and I a moment?"

Needlefur nodded.

Sapphire returned the gesture and signaled with her tail for Rustfur to follow her.

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

This is drawing close to the end of _ASSIS_, which is why I didn't describe all of the  
two-on-two fight. It's been pointed out to me before.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	43. Chapter 42: A Legacy Unwanted

"What's wrong, Sapphire?" Rustfur asked, after they were alone.

"I...I don't think we'll see any more of my parents..." she answered slowly.

"Why?"

With tears coming to her gently blue eyes, Sapphire related the events of her dream to Rustfur.

He didn't say anything when she'd finished, but wrapped his tail around her shoulders.

"Now I _really_ don't have any parents." Sapphire sniffed. "I wasn't thinking when I said that... N-now I'll never see them again!" Finally, emotion got the better of her, and she began sobbing.

Again, Rustfur felt her pain as his own. "Shhh... Sapphire, look at me." He slowly raised her head with his tail, until he was looking straight into her ocean-blue eyes. "Listen Sapphire, I still love you, and so do your parents."

Sapphire lowered her eyes. "I don't know..." she sniffed.

Rustfur looked indignant. "Don't know about what? If I love you?"

Despite the tears in her eyes, Sapphire laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. I know you love me, Rusty."

The Espeon smiled. "All right, just making sure. Now, don't you feel better after a little laugh?"

"Yes, I do. I've also realized that I should let go of the past. I have more important things in the present." Sapphire smiled sweetly at her future mate.

"I'm glad your feel better. I wish you would laugh more; I love how it sounds."

"I guess there hasn't been much to laugh at lately." Sapphire admitted.

"I know, but once this mess is behind us, there will be more things to laugh at. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Rusty" she said playfully.

Rustfur softly stroked Sapphire's finely muscled shoulders and back, again using his tail, still amazed at the strength that lay in her lithe and graceful body. "Come on, Sapphire." He stood up and waited for her to do the same. He felt sorry for her; the closest she had to parents were his own. Most of the time, it didn't seem to bother her, or, at least, she never showed it.

"I wonder how far we'll get today?" Sapphire asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I'm not sure, although we'll probably have five or six more days of travel after today." Rustfur guessed.

By the time they had returned to Rustfur's parents, everyone else was ready to go.

After they had gotten underway and had been traveling for a while, Leafpool called her son to her side. "Listen Rustfur, when we eventually get back to the Daycare, you and Sapphire will stay there with Rayne and myself."

"Where will everyone else be?" he prompted.

"They will head to Veilstone to find Team Galactic."

"Why are Sapphire and I staying at the Daycare then?"

"For your safety." his mother answered.

"But I thought you were going to let me make some of my own decisions." he protested.

"This one I'm making for you. That's the end of it." The fierce look in her amber eyes told Rustfur the discussion was finished. "Do you think it would be a good idea to lead Sapphire right into Team Galactic's reach, anyway?"

Rustfur had to agree with that. "No, you're right." he admitted. "We'll stay at the Daycare with you."

Sapphire had also shared Rustfur's disapproval, but also saw the sense in Leafpool's decision and reluctantly agreed, as well. "Yes, we will, Leafpool."

Rustfur's mother nodded in response.

Rustfur dropped back in line with Sapphire. "I still wish we could go with them. I have a score to settle with Team Galactic."

"So do I, Rusty. But, you have to admit, it isn't the smartest thing for me to do to just walk into their hands." Sapphire pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." he slowly admitted. "I just wanted to repay them for what they did to my mother." he finished through clenched teeth.

"I know; I'd still like to give them something back for killing my father, but it _is_ safer if we don't go."

"I know... I wouldn't be able to go on if you were hurt, or...worse..." he trailed off, avoiding Sapphire's eyes.

"Don't worry, Rusty. I'll be at your side forever. Nothing will change that." Sapphire rested her head against his shoulder. Slowly her tail slipped up against his and gently twirled around it.

All of Rustfur's cares disappeared; suddenly, it didn't matter where he was or whatever happened; as long as Sapphire was with him, he would be happy.

They traveled like this for the rest of the day. When it came time to stop for the night, the pair lay down facing each other, tails still twisted together.

"Good night, Sapphire."

"Good night, Rusty." she murmured, eyes half closed.

Just before he fell asleep, Rustfur heard: _I'll always be with you, Rusty. Always._

With her words echoing softly through his mind, the Espeon fell into a deep sleep.

Shortly thereafter, or so it seemed, he was padding down a harshly lit, metal-walled corridor, strewn with sliding doors. This alone was unnerving, but what was actually worrying him was that he couldn't sense Sapphire at all; he was completely alone. For some unknown reason he felt hurried, like he was attempting to find something. He jumped when a frightened squeal rang out down the corridor.

"Mom! Help!"

"Where are you!? Mom!"

Once he got over his initial fright, Rustfur called back, "Hello? Where are you?"

The only answer he received was, "Mom! Help us!"

"Please, Mom! Where are y-"

The scared voice was abruptly cut off. Rustfur began running and was about to round a corner when he heard quick, heavy steps coming. He ducked back behind the corner just in time.

A cloaked figure came sprinting down the hall, a small brown figure under each arm. Rustfur caught a quick glance of the unmistakable tail on each one. Those could only belong to a pair of Eevees!

One thought shot through his mind. _Team Galactic!_

Rustfur stepped out and called after the figure as it passed, hoping to catch its attention. "Stop right there!"

It worked; the figure spun around. One of the small, brown Eevees was unconscious, most likely from struggling. The other, however, was fully alert and staring at Rustfur with wide, pleading eyes.

Rustfur was frozen with shock, just like when he'd first seen those eyes. They were an intense blue, just like Sapphire's, but instead of her fiery spirit, there was an overwhelming gentleness and timidity in the frightened azure eyes of this terrified little Eevee.

"Those...eyes..." he breathed, unable to say anything else.

"Mom! Help me!"

The Eevee's piercing wail swiftly brought Rustfur back to reality. The hooded figure had started running again. This time, though, the Espeon gave chase. "Let those two go!" he shouted uselessly. "Put them down right now!"

Of course, the human didn't understand him, and paid him no heed.

As they rounded another corner, Rustfur was gaining on the human, and sprung, catching the cloak in his mouth. He didn't have it for long, as the figure rapidly lashed out with its foot, catching Rustfur squarely in the side of his head. Stars exploded in his head and he sank to the cold metal floor, the cries of the Eevee echoing in his slowly slipping consciousness. He finally gave in and blacked out. The next thing he knew was Sapphire calling him.

"Rusty? Are you all right?"

He slowly opened his eyes, squinting painfully against the bright sun. His head was still pounding as he sat up. "Oww..."

"What is it, Rusty?"

As he met Sapphire's concerned cerulean gaze, he knew he was right; she shared the same eye color with that small Eevee.

"I had an unsettling dream." he answered, wincing at the throbbing in his head.

"What was it about?" Sapphire asked in concern.

Rustfur hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to tell her, but he quickly remembered the last time he'd hid something from her. So, he began relating his dream to her, leaving out no details.

"An Eevee? With the same eye color as me?"

Rustfur nodded. "Yes, exactly the same."

"And you're sure it wasn't me?"

"Positive. It wasn't you; this Eevee's eyes were too gentle and timid."

"Then, if it wasn't me, but had my eyes, that means..." Sapphire paused as if she wasn't able to believe it.

"That means...what?" Rustfur asked.

"Was the Eevee male or female?"

"Judging from its voice, female. But what does-"

"Then that was our daughter, Rustfur." Sapphire said bluntly.

"-that have to do with..." Rustfur trailed off as what Sapphire said sunk in. "Why do you say that?"

"Think about it, Rusty. You assumed that the human carrying these two Eevees was from Team Galactic. Why would they want any other Eevees? And another thing; do you know any other Pokemon with my eyes?"

Rustfur didn't answer; his mind was spinning. One part of him was excited; this dream was proof that Sapphire was going to be his mate. Another part of him was a mix of both terror and fury. That was _his_ daughter, and that was _Team Galactic._

"Will they _ever_ stop!?"

Sapphire knew who "they" were and softly answered the Espeon. "I...I...don't know, Rusty. But I do know _why_ they're doing it. Look at my eyes. I'm different, and our daughter will be too. I wish I was normal..."

"But you are normal, Sapphire. To me. I can't imagine you _without_ your eyes. They are _the_ most beautiful thing I've ever seen; I love them, and you should too."

"Truly, Rustfur, sometimes... I don't."

The Espeon listened, shocked, as she went on.

My eyes have caused more trouble than any Pokemon should have to put up with. First, my parents are dead. Then, your mother was almost killed. Cinder almost gave you a permanent injury. Now, our own daughter will have to live with the same eyes. Like it or not, the chance of your life with me being normal is very small."

"I'm fine with that." Rustfur pointed out.

"So am I." Sapphire agreed. "Sometimes, though, I wish we had an easier life to look forward to."

"I know. But we'll go through it together." Rustfur promised, looking deep into her eyes. "All right?"

"Okay."

"Whatever will happen in the future, I'll be glad when we're done with this mess we're in now." the Espeon muttered.

"Me too. It'll be nice to not have anyone trying to capture me."

"I'll second that; you don't know how _I_ feel, worrying about you. I'll be happy when there's one less thing to worry about."

"Sometimes I think you worry about too much, Rusty."

"I'm just watching out for you." He touched his nose to Sapphire's, in a gesture of affection. "I _always_ will; even after we're done with what we're going through now. You will always come first, even before me."

"Slow down, Rusty. Don't go and sacrifice yourself for me. I'm able to handle myself. Besides, if you do that, who will keep me safe?" the Leafeon asked teasingly.

"I would. I said I would always watch out for you, and I mean _always._ Wherever I am, whether I'm alive or not, I will be protecting you. You'll always come first."

Sapphire looked at him oddly. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"I knew you wanted to keep me safe, but I didn't know you would give up your life for me so quickly..."

"I wouldn't be 'giving it up.' It would be completely worth it. I would do it a thousand times. Sapphire, I ilove/i you. I know I've said that before, but it doesn't come close to how I really feel about you. I could think for the rest of my life and never find a way to tell you how I feel about you. There aren't any words i could use!" he exclaimed, frustrated.

"Rusty...I...I...didn't know you felt _that_ strongly..." Sapphire was speechless; even her own father didn't care for her like that.

"I don't just love you, Sapphire, I...I...don't know how to explain it..." He finally gave up, tail lashing out of frustration.

"It's okay, Rusty. You don't have to explain it. I understand." she whispered as she gently licked his cheek.

"As unsettling as that dream was, it does mean that you'll be my mate, and I'm excited for that."

"So am I, Rusty, so am I."

"Have you found that Eevee yet?"

Cyrus answered the silhouette on the screen behind him. "It isn't an Eevee anymore; it's evolved. It's now a Leafeon."

"So do you have it or not?"

"No, we don't."

"What have you been doing for the past several weeks!?"

"This Leafeon has joined up with ten other Pokemon, including our Flareon. Apparently, those Pokemon have taken to defending it."

"All excuses! You have no idea where this Leafeon is! Do you!?"

"Actually, we do. It's heading back towards Veilstone. We've also predicted that because the Pokemon it's traveling with have gone to such trouble to protect it, they won't lead it straight to us. They'll most likely leave it in Solaceon's Daycare. We'll capture it there."

"You'd better hope you're right about that."

_______________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

Remember that rose? Some creative thinking on your part, concerning that will  
allow you to divine this new blue-eyed Eevee's name. But, it's not as simple as  
"Rose"; I have a _little _more creativity than _that_.

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	44. Chapter 43: Finally, It Hits

"Sapphire, look at this!"

Several lengthy days of extensive traveling had brought the company back to a place that Rustfur and Sapphire knew all too well. An imposing ring of stones loomed in front of the Pokemon.

"This is where you first fought Dusk, isn't it, Sapphire?" Leafpool asked, standing alongside the two young Pokemon.

"Yes, it was..." she answered slowly, as if in a trance.

"I'll bet you could really give it to him in a fight now, huh?" Rustfur nudged the distant blue-eyed Leafeon.

"Huh? What?" Sapphire blinked and shook her head. "What did you say, Rustfur?"

"Are you feeling all right, Sapphire?" Rustfur asked, looking at her oddly.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just remembering the way things were when I was first brought here. Things were very different back then." she finished, winking at Rustfur.

"Yes, they were." the Espeon agreed.

"Let's keep moving." Needlefur called. "We still have a good couple hours to go before we reach the Daycare."

"She's right, Sapphire. We'll be safer there."

The Leafeon turned away from the stone ring. "Yes, you're right, Rusty. Let's go."

Another two hours brought them to the familiar fence surrounding the Daycare. Rustfur smiled as he recalled how his parents had had to carry him over.

One by one, the Pokemon jumped over the fence and down into the Daycare. Sapphire was second to last, and made the leap to the top of the fence effortlessly. She paused when she reached the top; her nicked ear twitched once.

Rustfur was about to ask what was wrong, when she hurriedly started to leap down. She had only just started, though, when a heavily weighted net came hissing out of the undergrowth and wrapped around her, swiftly and roughly carrying her off the fence.

Rustfur had already cleared the fence, and watched, horrified, as Sapphire tumbled, none too gently, to the ground. Before she could even begin to struggle, a harsh shock flew through the net, causing her to cry out in pain.

The Espeon was frozen with fear. Under the net, wincing with pain, he didn't see Sapphire, but his own mother. He was completely oblivious to everything around him, until Sapphire mentally called to him.

_Rustfur! Don't just stand there! Help!_

Rustfur blinked and saw the source of the net climbing over the fence. Six Team Galactic members, one carrying a large cylindrical device, climbed over the fence. The one carrying the device pulled their hood back. "Gotcha."

"Cyrus!" Needlefur hissed.

"Quick, get Sapphire out of the net!" Torrentpaw ordered.

Ravenpaw made as if to do so, but his mother stopped him. "Wait. The net is electrified. Let me."

"Form up around Sapphire and Needlefur." Torrentpaw called.

Rustfur was reminded of how the same had been done in protecting his mother. Only this time, he was helping.

"Hold on, Sapphire." Needlefur said calmly. "They'll electrify the net in an attempt to stop me. I'm not going to lie; it _will_ hurt. Just hold on."

Sapphire nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.

Needlefur took the net in her teeth and began pulling. Sapphire ground her teeth together as electricity lanced through her body.

Rustfur winced; he felt a sharp pain flash over his telepathic connection with Sapphire. He knew he was feeling what the Leafeon was feeling. The pain continued, almost to the point of fainting. It also brought back terrifying memories of when _he_ had been trapped under the net.

Finally, the pain subsided as Needlefur tore the net away from Sapphire. The young Espeon gasped with relief and staggered slightly. Before he stumbled too far, a sturdy shoulder caught him.

"Don't worry, Rusty. I'm all right. We'll show them why they haven't yet caught me."

"Wow, Sapphire..." he breathed. "Aren't you exhausted?"

"No, not really."

"Cyrus, I think we need to use our Pokemon. The net won't work." one of the members muttered to his boss.

"You're right. Bring out the Pokemon."

All six members cast their cloaks back, each revealing three red and white spheres.

"Oh no..." Leafpool quickly counted the Poke Balls clipped to the human's belts. Eighteen to ten. Not the odds she wanted to face. But, as she looked at the Espeon and Leafeon standing side by side, she knew she would have faced twice those odds, by herself, for them.

Eighteen flashes of light signified the appearance of eighteen fierce Pokemon.

Rustfur shivered; one of the Pokemon was a Weavile, and that reminded the Espeon of Dusk.

Sapphire felt him shiver and knew why, without use of their connection. She pressed against his side, in comfort and understanding.

The gesture of comfort didn't help Rustfur much, as Cyrus called out an order.

"Get that Leafeon!"

The Weavile, accompanied by a Honchkrow and Crobat, rushed the young pair. Rustfur's parents and grandparents fell in to protect them. Even as they did so, an additional half dozen of the remaining enemy Pokemon, headed by a Skuntank followed those going after the Espeon and Leafeon.

The four snarling adult Pokemon in the Weavile's way didn't intimidate it one bit. It gave a mighty leap and sailed over the Pokemon, followed by its already airborne partners, landing behind Rustfur and Sapphire.

The two quickly wheeled around and saw the Weavile already charging.

_I'm done with this; I'm now able to protect Sapphire, and now I _will.

The Espeon closed his eyes and projected a barrier around himself and Sapphire. He failed to notice the bright white glow radiating from the Weavile's three claws. The black-furred Pokemon swung at the psychic field...

"Aaaggghhh!"

...and it shattered, sending an intense thunderclap of pain through Rustfur's mind, causing him to cry out and collapse.

When Sapphire saw the attack wasn't stopped, she swung out with Leaf Blade. As the two attacks met, they produced a powerful shockwave.

The Honchkrow and Crobat came powering through the shockwave, right at Sapphire. She ducked the Crobat's dive, but the Honchkrow came in lower, claws extended.

The bird Pokemon's talons raked down the Leafeon's back, scoring several crimson lines in her pale fur. Sapphire didn't cry out, as hearing Rustfur cry in pain had brought her orphaned side back to the surface. In actuality, she hadn't even felt the strike.

Just as the Honchkrow had finished its pass, Sapphire spun around and leapt after it, landing on its back and grounding it. There was a fierce, terrifying light in her eyes, as harsh as the glow of her tail. She was about to deal a fatal blow to her enemy when she came out of her rage.

_No, I can't kill _another _Pokemon..._

"Aaghh!" Rustfur shouted as the Weavile's claws slipped down his leg, just deep enough to cause pain and draw blood.

_Although I might have to!_ she though angrily. She looked up at the rapid beating of wings. The Crobat was again bearing down on her. Thinking quickly, she swatted the Honchkrow at the Crobat with the flat of her tail. The bat Pokemon avoided its teammate-turned-projectile, but Sapphire had expected that; she used Aerial Ace and met it halfway with a nasty blow.

Then she turned and went after the Weavile. Rustfur had it in the air with Psychic.

"Hold him, Rusty!"

Rustfur kept the Weavile suspended as Sapphire lashed out with Leaf Blade.

"I'm sick of Weaviles." Rustfur muttered.

"We're not done with this one yet, Rusty."

She was right; the Weavile was getting back up. Once more, it charged. This time Rustfur knew not to use Reflect. He started to make a Shadow Ball instead. He wasn't watching behind him, though, and took a powerful Cross Poison from the still-active Crobat. He fell forward, pain once more on his voice.

"Rusty!" Sapphire lost her focus for a split-second. The Weavile took advantage of this and hammered her with a Night Slash attack.

This time, she _did_ cry out, attracting Leafpool's attention. Things rapidly deteriorated from there.

Leafpool spun around, now oblivious to everything else. "Sapphire!"

"Leafpool!" Fireheart shouted to warn his mate of the Mightyena bearing down on her. She didn't hear him, and now that _his_ attention was divided, he fell victim to a Purugly's attack. Now that Fireheart and Leafpool weren't assisting Needlefur and Torrentpaw, _they_ were separated and subdued. One by one, Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, Frostpelt, and Rayne were also pinned down.

Swiftclaw struggled madly, shouting angrily. "Rayne! Let her up right now!"

No one, human or Pokemon, heeded his furious shouting.

Cyrus turned to his underling and issued another order. "Make sure that Leafeon isn't going anywhere. Give it a Poison Sting."

The underling nodded. "Dustox, Poison Sting!"

Two dozen purple needles shot towards Sapphire. Rustfur was horrified, but was too exhausted to form any kind of barrier. Swiftclaw started to, but a strangled exclamation from Rayne told him that if he went any further, the Absol standing over her would make him regret it. The blue glow left his eyes, leaving them saddened and regretful.

Finally, the needles reached their target and slammed into Sapphire's body. All she could do was whimper and squirm feebly as twenty-four sharp needles rained down upon her injured back. Sapphire winced in agony and glared angrily at the blurry image of the Weavile holding her down. She thought nothing of her blurring vision until she coughed harshly.

_Oh no..._ she thought blankly.

_What is it, Sapphire?_ Rustfur felt his connection with her wavering. _What's wrong?_

_Rustfur, I think I've-_ She was interrupted by a bout of rough coughing. _I think I've been-_

Rustfur had an idea of what she was about to tell him, but fervently hoped he was wrong.

_I've been poisoned._

_________________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

The first attack Sapphire dodged is now the last one that hits her. Things have now  
come full circle...

To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,  
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".


	45. Chapter 44&Epilogue: This Is My Life Now

_Oh no. Sapphire, you can't be serious._

_I am, Rustfur._

_What are we going to do? It's not like they'll let me up to go find any berries._

_I-I don't know..._ she finally answered.

_I don't want to lose you, Sapphire! We have to think of _something!

_But what can we do?_

Rustfur didn't answer; his violet eyes were flooded with tears. He barely noticed the shadow that briefly blocked the sun out.

An extremely familiar voice _did_ get his attention though.

"Team Galactic! I thought I had already dealt with you idiots!"

Rustfur looked up in amazement at the brown-haired Trainer climbing off the back of a red-orange winged lizard-like Pokemon with a flame at the very tip of its tail.

Needlefur had also looked up at the voice. "Torrentpaw, look!"

The Vaporeon also looked. "Flametail? Eric?"

"All right, Cyrus tell me why you have all of my Pokemon on the ground?"

"All we want is that Leafeon over there." The boss of Team Galactic pointed to Sapphire. "Let us leave with that Leafeon, and you can have all of yours back."

"You really think I'll let you take that Leafeon? So you can repeatedly run tests on it until you kill it? I don't think so." Eric retorted.

"Are you asking for a fight?"

"I think I can take you. I've done it once before."

"You think you can do it again?"

"Yes, I do, and unless you let _all_ of these Pokemon up right now, you'll see that I can." As he spoke, the brown-haired Trainer unclipped five Poke Balls from his belt. Calmly, one by one, he opened them. Soon, in addition to the Charizard behind him, the Trainer was flanked on either side by a Lucario, Staraptor, Butterfree, Aggron, and Nidoqueen. "Last chance, Cyrus. Let them up. Now."

"Let us take the Leafeon and we will."

"I've told you, that's not going to happen."

"Fine! But let me remind you that you're outnumbered. Attack!"

At Cyrus' order, the grunts commanded their remaining seven Pokemon to rush the Trainer. He watched the oncoming Pokemon, as if waiting for something. Finally, he called out a single order.

"Flametail, Heat Wave!"

The Charizard opened its great mouth and exhaled a superheated gust of air at the seven Pokemon.

Even though Rustfur wasn't near the seven targeted Pokemon, he felt the heat from the attack. He now saw why his Trainer had let the enemy get so close; not only would they then receive the full potency of the attack, but Eric had also turned the attack away from his own Pokemon.

While Team Galactic's Pokemon were cringing under the Heat Wave, Eric gave another order to his Lucario.

"Matthias, use Extremespeed to get Needlefur and everyone else free."

The blue Pokemon nodded and vanished in a blinding burst of speed. In a short time, all of the trapped Pokemon were freed. The Lucario stopped at Rustfur and looked at the Espeon oddly. "But...Swiftclaw...is over there."

"That's because I'm not Swiftclaw, I'm Rustfur."

"Rustfur? Really?"

The Espeon didn't answer, but jumped up and bolted for the Weavile holding Sapphire down. He got the Weavile off of her with a furious tackle. He then knelt beside Sapphire and began softly talking to her, unaware that the Weavile was getting back up. "Sapphire? Sapphire, please, say something..."

Matthias stepped in behind Rustfur and grabbed the Weavile's outstretched paw. "How about fighting something your own size?"

Now that Rustfur's Trainer was here and his family had been freed, Team Galactic was quickly put back in their place. The arrival of the Veilstone police force helped, too. Cyrus and his five lackeys were promptly handcuffed and ordered into the back of a van.

"I'm glad that's over." Eric took his blue hat off and wiped his brow. "Those idiots never learn." The Trainer looked around, running his gaze over his Pokemon. "Wait, where's Rustfur?"

The Espeon in question was still crouched over Sapphire, gently licking her sweat-dampened forehead. "Sapphire...Sapphire, no!"

Leafpool heard his cry and spun around. She was at his side in an instant. "Rustfur! Are you all right!?"

"Forget me, Mom! Sapphire needs help!" he snapped, his eyes running with tears. "Get Eric!"

Leafpool shot back to her Trainer, shouting frantically. Naturally, he couldn't understand her, but he heard the urgency in her voice. He followed the Leafeon back, with the rest of Rustfur's family.

Eric unslung his backpack and knelt beside Sapphire. He gently caressed the Leafeon's forehead, and her eyes weakly fluttered open.

The Trainer quickly drew his hand back. Weak as she was, a fierce glow was still in her blue eyes. "Wow..." he breathed. "Look at those eyes..." He was stunned, until the Leafeon's body shook as she coughed weakly.

The Lucario held his paw over Sapphire's body, his eyes closed and the black antennae-like appendages on the back of his head stood out horizontally. Shortly after, the Lucario turned to his Trainer and spoke to him telepathically.

_Rustfur tells me she's been poisoned. Her Aura is fading; I don't know how long she's been poisoned, but she's barely hanging on. The wounds on her back and side aren't helping either.  
_

"What's her name?" the Trainer asked.

_He tells me her name is Sapphire._

"I can see why." Eric answered, rummaging around in his pack, pulling a gray and green module. He flipped its lid open, revealing a sharp needle.

Sapphire saw the glint of the needle and bared her teeth as Eric brought it near her.

"It's all right, I'm trying to help you." he said softly, cautiously extending his free hand.

Sapphire snarled weakly as the human's hand came to rest gently on her head. She tried pulling away, but the gentleness of his hand surprised her. She squirmed and growled as Eric stuck the needle into her upper foreleg.

"Shhh...It's all right." he whispered softly, stroking the Leafeon's head. "I'm not trying to hurt you. You'll feel much better in a little bit. Shhh..." He pressed a button on the module, injecting the green medicine into Sapphire's body.

Slowly, Sapphire's vision cleared and strength returned to her limbs. Rustfur felt their link return, stronger than ever. the Espeon returned to Sapphire's side. "You're-you're okay, Sapphire. I-I thought I'd lost you..." Even as he said this, he furiously nuzzled the Leafeon, dampening her fur with his tears.

"I see why you were in such a hurry, Leafpool. It looks like Rustfur has found himself a mate. You guys have a lot to tell me; first, how you evolved, Rustfur, and, second, how you met Sapphire, and the Vaporeon next to Swiftclaw, too. You'll have a lot of translating to do, Matthias."

Sapphire looked up at the laughing brown-haired Trainer. So, this was going to be her life now; that of a domestic Pokemon? It would take some adjustment. But as she looked at Rustfur, she knew he would be there with her every step of the way, to help her. He would also walk her through every hardship, no matter how difficult. With him by her side, Sapphire felt like the two of them could take on anything the world could throw at them.

"See, Sapphire? I told you; Eric is the nicest Trainer you could want. Now you'll be a lot safer. But, are you sure you'll be okay with having a Trainer?"

Sapphire once more looked up at Rustfur's owner. "You know, Rusty, I think I will." she answered. "I'll be just fine."

____________________

_Epilogue_

_Three months... Three damned_ months...

The blue-haired man sat in the harsh, flourescently-lit cell, grumbling to himself.

_That same kid! He ruins _everything! _We'll never get anything done with him around..._

His ruminations were interrupted by a deafening explosion that smashed his cell wall asunder.

He stood up and walked calmly towards the gaping hole. "It took you long enough..."

A woman with short, white hair stepped from the black of the night into the bright cell. "Shut up and come on. It's only a matter of time until someone responds to that explosion. Climb on."

The man climbed onto the back of a large blue Pokemon with great red wings. The woman joined him on the back of the imposing Pokemon. Its huge red wings beat once, lifting its great bulk into the air, then carrying it off into the night.

As they flew, the blue-haired man looked back at the bright light of his cell seeping out into the black ink of night. "Thanks, I owe you one, J."

__________________________________________________________

Author's Notes:

There, all done. For those of you watching this story, sorry for polluting  
your inboxes with all of my back-to-back uploads.

Next up, _Shattered Truths._


End file.
